Orecchiette With Sausage And Broccoli
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This super delicious Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli is an Italian classic that is hearty, flavorful, and filling! It’s tasty Italian sausage, fresh broccoli, lots of garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes all sautéed together and then tossed with perfectly cooked “little ears” pasta. This is a quick and easy 30-minute recipe that is sure to become a family favorite!
Before You Start
- Salt the Water Generously: When boiling the broccoli and pasta, add plenty of salt to the water. This adds lots of flavor of both the broccoli and the pasta as they cook.
- Pick Fresh Broccoli: Use fresh broccoli florets for better flavor. Frozen broccoli works in a pinch but won’t hold up as well in the dish.
- Reserve Pasta Water: Before draining the pasta, save at least a cup of the cooking water. The starchy water helps bind the sauce and adds extra flavor to the dish.
- Use High-Quality Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese melts better and brings more flavor than pre-shredded versions.
- Don’t Drain the Sausage Fat: After cooking the sausage, keep the rendered fat in the skillet. It adds richness to the sauce and seasons the broccoli and garlic perfectly.
- Cook Pasta Al Dente: Orecchiette should have a slight bite to it, as it will continue to cook slightly when tossed with the sauce.
- Use a Large Skillet: Choose a skillet big enough to hold the sausage, broccoli, and pasta. It makes tossing the ingredients together much easier.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Broccoli – Fresh broccoli is best for this recipe. However, frozen will work if that is all you’ve got on hand.
- Orecchiette Pasta – I recommend you use orecchiette pasta, but any bite-size pasta will work such as penne, farfalle, or fusilli.
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter to control the amount of added salt. You can also use a few tablespoons of olive oil if you prefer.
- Italian Sausage – You’ll need some of your favorite Italian sausage for this recipe. Both pork or turkey sausage will work perfectly.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic cloves are always best. Store-bought jarred garlic can sometimes have a bitter taste due to the added preservatives.
- Salt – Needed to season the pasta cooking water and the whole dish.
- Black Pepper – Use fresh ground black pepper if you have it on hand.
- Red Pepper Flakes – Adds a bit of spice to the dish. However, you can omit the chili flakes or add even more if you like.
- Parmesan Cheese – Used to garnish the dish at the end. I love to use Parmigiano Reggiano for the most refined cheesy flavor.
This recipe is simple! The broccoli and pasta are cooked in the same pot and there is almost no prep involved. Just make sure to save a bit of the pasta water and you’ll have a delicious dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less!
To begin, you’ll cook the broccoli first. So bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Next, add the broccoli and cook it for 5 minutes until it’s tender. Then transfer the cooked broccoli to a large bowl with a slotted spoon and set it aside for a later step. But do not discard the water.
Once the broccoli is done cooking, bring the broccoli cooking water back to a boil. Next, add the orecchiette pasta to the boiling water and cook it according to the package directions until al dente. Then when the pasta is done, reserve a cup of the cooking water and then drain the rest. Now, set the cooked pasta aside.
To cook the meat, melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Then add the sausage and cook it for about 5 to 7 minutes or until it’s cooked through. You need to break it up into crumbles with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Then after it’s done cooking, stir in the minced garlic and cook it with the sausage for just 30 seconds more until it’s aromatic.
Now that the pasta, broccoli, and sausage are all cooked you can complete the dish! To do this, add the broccoli florets to the skillet with the sausage. Then season it with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Next, add half a cup of the pasta water and the cooked pasta to the pan.
Now, toss everything together and cook the dish for a few more minutes. Finally, add the Parmesan cheese to the pasta, drizzle it with a bit of extra virgin olive oil to finish and toss well.
Once the orecchiette with sausage and broccoli is ready, transfer it to your favorite dish. Then serve it immediately with some delicious quick and easy Cheesy Breadsticks if you like!
How To Serve
This Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli is hearty enough to stand on its own, but I love pairing it with simple sides to round out the meal. Here are some of my favorite ideas to serve alongside:
Easy Garlic Bread
Italian Wedding Soup
Easy Focaccia
Easy Bruschetta Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of pasta?
Yes! While orecchiette is traditional, small pasta shapes like penne, fusilli, or shells work just as well. They’ll hold the sauce and sausage nicely.
What’s the best way to store leftovers?
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Add a splash of reserved pasta water or chicken broth when reheating to restore moisture and flavor.
Can I freeze this dish?
It’s not recommended. Pasta tends to lose its texture and become mushy when frozen and reheated. If you need to freeze something, freeze the cooked sausage and make the rest fresh when you’re ready to eat.
Can I make this dish ahead of time?
Yes! Cook the sausage and broccoli in advance and store them separately. Cook the pasta fresh, toss everything together, and reheat with some pasta water for a just-made taste.
What else can I add to the pasta?
Anything you like! You can use any type of meat you like in place of the sausage or in addition too. As well as, whatever veggies you like. Don’t have any broccoli on hand!?! No problem! You can use green beans or even kale. Better yet, use some broccoli rabe like they do in Italy. Just remember to keep the ratios of the ingredients about the same so that you have enough sauce to coat all of the pasta.
More Delicious Pasta Recipes
- Broccoli Pasta
- Beets And Goat Cheese Pasta
- Pasta Pomodoro
- Pasta Puttanesca
- Fettuccine Alfredo
- Aglio e Olio
- Pasta Alla Norma
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Orecchiette With Sausage And Broccoli
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli florets
- 12 ounces orecchiette pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a large large bowl.
- In the same pot with broccoli water add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Add the butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the sausage and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through, breaking it up as you go along. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the cooked broccoli florets, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add about ½ cup of the pasta water and the cooked pasta.
- Toss everything together and cook for a couple more minutes. Finally, add the Parmesan cheese and another drizzle of some good extra virgin olive oil and toss well.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Salt your broccoli water. Salt the broccoli cooking water well. This helps to infuse both the broccoli and orecchiette pasta with flavor as they cook.
- Don’t drain the sausage. Leave the excess fat in the pan after you cook the Italian sausage. It’s used to saute the broccoli and season the whole dish.
- Save some of the water. The reserved pasta water is needed for the dish and can also be used for reheating the leftovers and keeping the dish flavorful.
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container. To reheat, just sprinkle it with a bit of water or chicken broth and then put it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power. You can also reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat. However, leftover pasta does not tend to freeze well.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
