Italian Sausage With Broccoli And Collards Or Kale Recipes

BROCCOLI AND SAUSAGE CAVATELLI

Steps:

• In a skillet, fry sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain, and reserve.
• In the same skillet, cook garlic in olive oil until golden.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until done; drain. Three minutes before the end of the cooking time, add broccoli; drain with pasta.
• In a large serving bowl, toss together the sausage, olive oil and garlic, cavatelli and broccoli, and Parmesan. Season with red pepper flakes.

ITALIAN SAUSAGES WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages. Cover skillet and cook until sausages are brown and cooked through, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer sausages to plate; tent with foil to keep warm. Add garlic to drippings in same skillet and stir 30 seconds. Add broccoli rabe and 1/2 cup broth. Cover skillet and cook until broccoli rabe is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add polenta; mash with potato masher until smooth. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup broth and cheese. Simmer until polenta is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season polenta with salt and pepper.
• Spoon polenta onto 2 plates. Top with sausages and broccoli rabe.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH FARFALLE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the farfalle pasta, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the Italian sausage until crumbly and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and continue cooking until the sausage begins to brown, about 5 minutes more. Pour off the excess grease, then pour in the chicken broth and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the broccoli rabe, and cover. Cook until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 4 minutes.
• When the broccoli rabe is done, stir in the butter, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper until the meat sauce has thickened. Toss with the farfalle and serve.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH BROCCOLI AND COLLARDS (OR KALE)

Steps:

• Put the sausage into a pot. Cover with water and simmer 15 minutes or so while you cope with the veggies.
• Clean and trim the collards. IMO, the best way to wash greens is to put them into a large, deep sink and slosh them around in the water like a tub of laundry. Tip -- if they are very muddy rinse them in a bucket outdoors first to keep the dirt out of your drains.
• Chop the collards and, if using the cherry tomatoes, cut them in half.
• Clean the broccoli and cut it in bite-sized pieces.
• Peel the onions. Quarter them lengthwise then slice them thickly.
• In a large, cast iron pan - a chicken fryer, a dutch oven, or a stir-fry pan -- saute the onions and broccoli until about half cooked.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the broth from the sausage then start adding handfuls of collards or kale to the pan. Stir frequently, adding additional handfuls as it cooks down, until its all in the pan.
• As you cook the greens, grill or fry the pre-cooked sausages to brown them nicely.
• Once the collards are all in the pan, steam-saute the mixture until the collards are well-cooked, but not grey or mushy.
• Add the tomatoes and stir around until they are well-heated.
• Serve the sausage on top of or beside the veggies, sprinkling both with Parmesan to taste.
• Pass vinegar at the table if desired since many people feel that no dish of collards is complete without it.
• Note -- It makes a good potluck dish if you quarter the sausage and toss with the veggies before topping the whole pan with Parmesan.

PENNE WITH SAUSAGE AND GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the collard greens, garlic, pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the greens are wilted, about 3 minutes.
• Add the pasta, lemon zest, and half of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and toss. If needed, add more of the pasta water and toss again. Serve topped with Parmesan.