Barefoot Contessa Orecchiette And Sausage Recipes

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, and cook, turning occasionally until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove sausage to a plate and reserve pan and sausage drippings.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat. Add a large pinch of salt and broccoli rabe and cook, uncovered, until broccoli rabe is bright green and tender but still slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer broccoli rabe using tongs to a colander (reserve boiling water) and rinse under cold running water. Chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
• Add pasta to reserved boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente (tender but not mushy), about 12 minutes. Meanwhile, heat reserved pan and drippings over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe, pepper flakes, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt; increase heat to medium-high, and cook, continually stirring, until broccoli rabe is hot and tender, about 5 minutes. Slice sausage into 1/4-inch thick coins and add to pan and mix well cook until sausage is warmed through, about 5 more minutes.
• Drain pasta in a colander in sink, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking liquid. Toss pasta and liquid with broccoli rabe mixture. Transfer pasta to a serving dish or individual bowls, garnish with Parmesean and serve.

ORECCHIETTE WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until the onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Increase heat to high and add pancetta to the skillet. Cook and stir until crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove casings from the sausages; add sausage meat to skillet. Cook and stir until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet.
• Toss mushrooms into the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, and salt. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, 1 to 2 hours.
• Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in orecchiette and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 7 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water and drain without rinsing the pasta.
• Stir spinach into the sauce in the skillet. Cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Toss pasta into the skillet and stir to combine everything. Stir until heated through, adding some reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE & SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prick the sausages with a fork and place them on a sheet pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through. Slice 1/2 inch thick and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sausage slices and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pieces are browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the red wine, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and let the mixture simmer over low heat while you prepare the pasta and broccoli.
• Bring a very large pot half filled with water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 9 minutes exactly. While the pasta is cooking, trim the broccoli rabe to just below the leaves and discard the stems. Cut the leafy part of the broccoli rabe crosswise in 2-inch pieces. When the pasta has cooked for 9 minutes, add the broccoli rabe to the pasta and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain in a large colander, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and add the pasta and broccoli to the pot with the tomato and sausage mixture. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking liquid. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot with extra Parmesan on the side.

SAUSAGE ORECCHIETTE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half., Stir in broccoli and tomatoes. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 4-6 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain pasta; add to skillet and toss to coat. Serve with cheese.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SPICY SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Strain the broccoli rabe, reserving all the cooking liquid. Set the broccoli rabe aside. Cook the orecchiette in the same pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until the sausage is brown and juices form, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the broccoli rabe and toss to coat. Add the pasta and enough reserved cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, to moisten. Stir the Parmesan cheese, salt to taste, and pepper into the pasta mixture. Transfer to pasta bowls and serve.