ORECCHIETTE
WITH SAUSAGE & BROCCOLI
Serves 4, Ready in 20 Minutes
Orecchiette with sausage & broccoli
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe is a classic dish from Puglia, Italy. This is my spin on it using tenderstem broccoli instead of rabe, mainly because I can’t find rabe anywhere in London.
Rabe is quite bitter so the tenderstem gives this a much milder flavour but I think it’s just as delicious and a perfect dinner for when you’re pressed for time but need something delicious.
You can also add a splash of wine to deglaze the pan once you’ve cooked the sausages if you like.
Orecchiette with sausage & broccoli
INGREDIENTS
500g orecchiette pasta
200g tenderstem broccoli
450g Italian style sausages, skins removed & chopped
4 Garlic cloves, sliced
Good pinch of chilli flakes
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
Grated parmesan to add to the dish while cooking and to serve
METHOD
Boil the broccoli until cooked. Then remove the broccoli but don’t throw away the water, you’ll need it for the next step.
Next, boil the pasta according to the instructions until al dente (around 10 minutes) in the water leftover from the broccoli.
Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry the sausages until cooked and golden.
Towards the end of cooking the sausages, add the garlic, chilli flakes, and season with salt & pepper. Add a little pasta water if you need to deglaze the pan.
When the pasta is ready, add the broccoli to the pan with the sausages and then the pasta.
Take the pan off the heat and stir through some parmesan, using a little pasta water if needed to create a creamy sauce. Give it a good stir to mix everything through and don’t worry if the broccoli starts to break apart, that’s exactly what you want.
Once everything is mixed well, you’re ready to serve. Add a little extra grated parmesan on top if you like.
Enjoy!