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Recipes Nugget Markets Signature Recipes

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Italian Sausage

Prep time
10 minutes PT10M
Cook time
15 minutes PT15M
Yield
4 servings
Difficulty
2 out of 5 on the difficulty scale
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe and Italian sausage Nugget Markets signature recipes

Toss “little ear” pasta with flavorful Italian sausage, fresh broccoli rabe and Parmesan cheese to create this tasty Italian classic.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe
  • 8 ounces orecchiette
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 8 ounces Fresh to Market Mild Italian Sausage
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Bring 8 quarts of heavily salted water to boil. Blanch broccoli rabe in boiling water for 45–60 seconds, then remove (reserving blanching liquid) and shock in an ice water bath. When cool, chop broccoli rabe into ½-inch pieces.

Bring blanching liquid to a low boil, add pasta and cook according to directions on the package.

Heat sauté pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add sausage to the hot pan and break into bite-sized pieces. Cook until well-browned, about 5–7 minutes.

Add garlic and chili flakes, then shake the pan to brown the garlic. Add broccoli rabe and toss; the water clinging to it will help deglaze the pan. If water evaporates too quickly, add ¼ cup of the blanching liquid to the pan to deglaze. Use a spoon to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Strain pasta and immediately transfer into the sausage and broccoli rabe mixture. Toss with half the Parmesan plus salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat and add remaining olive oil. Garnish with remaining Parmesan and serve.

Techniques used in this recipe:

chop (I)
chop (I): to cut into pieces of roughly the same size.
deglaze
deglaze: to use a liquid, such as wine, water, or stock, to dissolve food particles and/or caramelized drippings left in a pan after roasting or sauteing.
mince
mince: to chop into very small pieces.
sear
sear: to brown the surface of food in fat over high heat before finishing by another method (for example, braising) in order to add flavor.

Pair with

  • Barbera

    Barbera is Piedmont's juiciest and honestly most delicious red wine. It is lower in tannins and higher in acid than other more dry red wines.

  • Sangiovese

    Responsible for the three great wines of Tuscany: Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese is Italy's most famous grape.

  • Chianti

    One of the most famous regions in Tuscany, Italy. The wines that bear the region's name are made from the Sangiovese grape. They commonly exhibit dried cherry flavors and can be very earthy and acidic.