This sausage broccoli pasta recipe shows up on my dinner table every few weeks. It comes together in under 30 minutes, my toddler happily eats it, and it’s protein, veg, and carb all in one one-pot meal!
A Simple Version of a Pasta Favorite
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe has always been one of my favorite pasta dishes. The combination of the rich crumbly sausage with the bitter greens and chewy al dente pasta is hard to beat for me. Our corner of New Jersey is replete with family-owned Italian restaurants. If this dish is on the menu, it’s hard for me not to order it!
That said, the bitter broccoli rabe isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. So at home, I find myself reaching for regular ol’ broccoli crowns. (A bag of pre-washed florets makes prep even easier!)
This recipe is an adaptation of Lidia Bastianich’s Orecchiete with Brococoli Rabe. (See also our version of her excellent Zucchini Bread Lasagna.) Sometimes I find myself making certain recipes all the dang time, but I alter them to suit my family’s needs.
When I’ve made that tweaked version enough times, it’s time to document it here on The Woks of Life, not just so I can always come back to them, but also (in an unexpected perk of starting your own food blog) so my husband can cook them without me having to tell him what to do.
I made some adjustments to Lidia’s version, switching in black pepper for crushed red pepper to keep the spice to a minimum and using small broccoli florets (the smaller the better, I find, for getting kids to eat their broccoli).
My version uses parmesan cheese rather than pecorino romano, which is milder, nuttier, and always in my freezer. I also find that broccoli doesn’t need as much oil as the broccoli rabe, so I lightened that up a bit.
Finally, while orecchiette is wonderful, any short-cut pasta, from farfalle, to penne, or small rigatoni, works great here. Translation: use whatever you have!
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my family does!
Broccoli Sausage Pasta Recipe Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sausage, breaking it up into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook until nicely browned and crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the broccoli, chicken broth, and pepper.
Stir and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until most of the broth has cooked off and the broccoli is tender.
Use a strainer to transfer the pasta from the boiling water to the skillet. Off the heat, add the butter and parmesan and toss well, adding pasta water as needed to keep the sauce smooth and silky.
Serve immediately!
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Recipe
Sausage Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound short-cut pasta (such as farfalle, orecchiette, penne, or mezze rigatoni)
- salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage (removed from casings)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 – 1¼ pound broccoli florets (cut small)
- 1 cup chicken broth (we use 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste mixed with 1 cup hot water)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (alternatively, add 1/4-1/3 cup heavy cream)
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and add the sausage, breaking it up into crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook until nicely browned and crispy. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the broccoli, chicken broth, and pepper. Stir and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until most of the broth has cooked off and the broccoli is tender.
- Use a strainer to transfer the pasta from the boiling water to the skillet. Off the heat, add the butter and parmesan and toss well, adding pasta water as needed to keep the sauce smooth and silky. Serve immediately!
