Orecchiette With Broccolini And Italian Sausage Recipes

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Add 4 quarts of water to a large pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat then season with salt (I use 2 Tbsp).
• Add broccoli to boiling water and cook until tender, about 4 - 5 minutes. Using a spider, remove broccoli and transfer to a colander, while leaving water in pot.
• Run broccoli under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well. Chop broccoli into smaller pieces.
• Add pasta to water in pot and boil about 1 minutes shy of al dente, according to time listed on package. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta water.
• While pasta is boiling, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil into a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Crumble sausage in small chunks into skillet and cook, breaking up and tossing occasionally, until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Add garlic during last 2 minutes of cooking the sausage.
• Pour in 1 cup of the pasta water into the sausage. Let it simmer for about a minute and reduce slightly. Add all dente pasta and cook while tossing, until tender, about 2 minutes.
• Drizzle in remaining 3 Tbsp olive oil, season with red pepper flakes to taste and toss.
• Sprinkle in parmesan, and toss to melt into sauce.
• Toss in broccoli. Season with salt as needed and pepper to taste.
• Loosen with more pasta water as needed. Drizzle servings with more olive oil if desired, serve with garnished with more parmesan.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook according to package instructions.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic; cook for 1 minute more.
• Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, chicken broth, broccoli, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to release the flavorful brown bits, until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted and simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
• Drain the pasta well and place back in the pasta pot. Add the sausage and broccoli mixture, along with half of the cheese, and toss to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and pass the remaining grated cheese at the table.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This dish can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated on the stovetop. If the dish has dried out a bit in the freezer, add a little water or broth while reheating. Just take care only to reheat it and not continue to cook it.

ORECCHIETTE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE, BROCCOLI RABE AND GORGONZOLA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook according to the package directions. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the skillet, add the crushed red pepper and cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Pierce the garlic on a fork. Add the orange juice, beans, sun-dried tomatoes and broccoli rabe to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly with the fork, until the sauce is heated through, about 4 minutes. Discard the garlic. Add the orecchiette, Gorgonzola, pine nuts, orange zest and Parmesan. Lightly toss and serve.

CHEESY STOVETOP MAC WITH SAUSAGE AND KALE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pot or a very large, deep skillet over medium-high, then add the onion, kale and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale has cooked down and the onion is smaller in size, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook, stirring often, until the paste darkens slightly, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until it loses its pink color, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the red-pepper flakes, sprinkle with salt and give everything a good stir. Add the chicken broth and pasta and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pan and cook until the pasta is soft but still has some bite to it, about 10 minutes. Be sure to check on the pasta and stir every now and again. (The sauce will have thickened from the starch in the pasta.)
• Add the cheese and hot sauce and mix well. Add salt and additional hot sauce to taste before serving.