Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Since I still had "little ears" in the pantry and since broccoli rabe is in season, I decided to create a dish that contained both. Although I'm not a big fan of regular broccoli, I do enjoy broccoli rabe [aka. broccolini, rapini and cime di rapa]. It is more tender, and has a pleasantly bitter flavor that provides an appealing contrast to the sweet pork sausage in the sauce. When you toss the ingredients together, the sausage gets trapped in the hollows of the orecchiette pasta,  making every bite wonderfully flavorful. The breadcrumbs provide a nice contrast in texture, and the flavors enhance the pasta dish. If you like dishes that are more on the salty end of things, just add more breadcrumbs to top the pasta.

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Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Yield: 2 servings

3 Tbsp + 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
1/2 Tbsp sea salt
1 lb. broccoli rabe [trimmed]
1/2 lb. dried orecchiette
1/2 lb. Italian sausage [sweet or mild]
4 garlic cloves [minced]
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese


1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 1/2 Tbsp sea salt to the water. Then add in broccoli rabe and cook until just tender, about 2-3 minutes. Then lift it out and drop it in a bowl of cold water [to stop the cooking process]. Drain the broccoli rabe, coarsley chop, and set aside.

2. Mince garlic cloves. [Start cooking the orecchiette pasta.]

3. In a pan over medium heat, warm 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. Add bread crumbs and mix to combine with oil, stirring often. Add in a dash of salt and pepper to season.

4. Cook for 6-8 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are toasted and golden-brown. Remove and let it cool on a plate. Set aside.

5. Heat 2-3 Tbsp olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add in garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

6. Add sausage to pan. Use a spatula and break the sausage into chunks. Cook for about 7 minutes or until meat is thoroughly cooked.

7. Add red pepper flakes.

8. Return broccoli rabe to pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until broccolini is re-heated.

9. After orecchiette pasta is cooked, drain the pasta while reserving a few spoonfuls of cooking liquid. Return pasta and few spoonfuls of cooking liquid to the pan. Toss to combine.

10. Add the grated parmesan-reggiano cheese to the pasta mixture. Toss to combine.

11. Serve pasta topped with a few spoonfuls of breadcrumbs. Enjoy!

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Notes: When cooking the orecchiette, add a few drops of olive oil to the water and stir constantly to prevent pasta from sticking together. Don't dump all the pasta in at once, otherwise they tend to stack up together.