Description
A hearty and flavorful Italian pasta dish featuring orecchiette with savory Italian turkey sausage and tender broccoli rabe, finished with a garlicky olive oil sauce and a touch of white wine. Perfectly balanced with a mild kick of red pepper flakes and optionally topped with Pecorino Romano cheese.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 pound broccoli rabe
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
Meat
- 1 pound (3 to 4 links) Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing and picked apart
Pantry
- Extra virgin olive oil (about 1/2 cup total, divided)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- Fine sea salt (1 teaspoon for sauce plus salt for pasta water)
- 1 pound dry orecchiette pasta
- Freshly grated Pecorino Romano (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the broccoli rabe: Thoroughly rinse the broccoli rabe and trim off any tough bottom stems. Coarsely chop the tender stalks, leaves, and florets into large pieces and set aside.
- Brown the sausage: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large deep skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausage pieces and cook while stirring often for 10 to 12 minutes, until nicely browned yet tender.
- Deglaze the pan: Increase heat to medium-high and pour in half of the white wine. Scrape any browned bits stuck to the pan for flavor. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until most wine evaporates. Turn off heat, remove sausage into a bowl, and set aside.
- Make a garlicky oil: Return pan to medium-low heat and add 1/4 cup olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and cook 2 to 3 minutes, pressing with a wooden spoon to release their aroma and flavor.
- Wilt the broccoli rabe: Add broccoli rabe in batches to the pan, covering it so it wilts down between additions. Once all is added, sprinkle red pepper flakes and salt. Partially cover and simmer gently, tossing occasionally, until broccoli rabe is tender and color has faded bright green, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Boil pasta water: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the pasta.
- Finish the sauce: When broccoli rabe is tender, pour in remaining wine and simmer briefly. Return sausage to the pan and toss to heat through. Remove garlic cloves if desired and cover to keep warm.
- Cook pasta: Add orecchiette to boiling water and cook until barely al dente, about 1 minute less than package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
- Toss pasta and sauce: Add pasta to the pan with broccoli rabe and sausage over medium-low heat. Pour in 1/2 cup pasta water and toss continuously until pasta is al dente, coated, and sauce is silky; add more reserved water if needed.
- Serve: Divide pasta among bowls and sprinkle with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese if using. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including authentic extra virgin olive oil, for the best flavor.
- Use a different pasta: If orecchiette is not available, substitute cavatelli, cavatappi, penne, or rigatoni.
- Skip the alcohol: Substitute chicken or vegetable broth for the white wine if preferred.
- Try different greens: Substitute broccolini or regular broccoli if broccoli rabe is unavailable or too pungent; reduce cooking time by 10 minutes for more delicate greens.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/6 of recipe)
- Calories: 436 kcal
- Sugar: 4.9 g
- Sodium: 735 mg
- Fat: 8.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 63.2 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 23.8 g
- Cholesterol: 40.1 mg
