Italian Sausage, Broccoli, and Orecchetti

1/2 lb. Rose Italian Sausage (mild or hot) remove from casing, crumble into lg. chunks
2 tbls. olive oil
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
Pinch crushed red pepper (opt.)
1/2 lb. broccoli, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb orecchetti pasta
2 tbls. butter (opt.)
Romano or Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Boil salted water for pasta. Cook according to package instructions. Save 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Heat olive oil in large sauté pan and add crumbled sausage. As sausage loses its pink color, add onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper, and the cut up broccoli. Add stock and boil until broccoli turns bright green. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta. If too dry gradually add saved pasta water to moisten. Add optional butter to enrich sauce. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and serve.

Back to recipe archive