Broccoli Rabe & Sausage Pasta
This pasta dish is my ultimate comfort food. If memory serves, my dad made this for dinner approximately 28 times a week throughout my childhood—it's just that perfect and delicious. No pressure, though. Even if you make it just once, I'll be delighted.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
2 heads broccoli rabe, chopped into bite size pieces
6 Italian sausages, sweet or spicy*
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
6 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt
Red pepper flakes
1 lb. pasta, I recommend mezzi rigatoni or orecchiette
Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Bring a salted pot of water to boil and drop in your broccoli rabe. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes, until bright green. Remove from water and drop into an ice bath, to prevent from cooking further. Drain broccoli rabe, chop into bite sized pieces, and set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot. Remove sausage from casings and break into bits. Add sausage to pan and stir until brown. You may need to break up sausage further in pan. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, add 6 cloves of crushed garlic, salt, and red pepper. Sauté until garlic is browned.
Boil, cook, and drain pasta.
Return sausage to sautéed garlic, along with blanched broccoli rabe. Mix up until everything is warmed up and nicely combined. Add pasta and toss. Add extra olive oil and salt and pepper if you like.
Serve with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese.
You can also use broccolini or classic broccoli in this recipe. I often do and love it just as much! There are a few versions below.
*For a vegetarian substitution, chickpeas (canned, rinsed and dried) make an amazing substitution for sausage. Follow recipe exactly as written, using chickpeas instead of sausage. Sometimes I throw a little fennel in with the chickpeas! Delish!
Make it step-by-step with me below!
1. Bring a salted pot of water to boil and drop in your broccoli rabe. Let it boil for 3-5 minutes, until bright green. Remove from water and drop into an ice bath, to prevent from cooking further. Drain broccoli rabe, chop into bite sized pieces, and set aside.
(You can decide what bite sized means to you.)
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot.
3. Remove sausage from casings and break into bits. Add sausage to pan and stir until brown.
(You may need to break-up sausage further in pan.)
4. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
5. In the same pan, add 6 cloves of garlic, salt, and red pepper.
6. Sauté until garlic is browned.
7. Boil, cook, and drain pasta.
Look at our girls!
8. Return sausage to sautéed garlic, along with blanched broccoli rabe. Mix up until everything is warmed up and nicely combined.
9. Add extra olive oil, salt and pepper if you like.
Serve with grated parmesan or pecorino cheese.