Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
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Packed with flavor and easy to make, this orecchiette with sausage and broccoli is a longtime favoriteโthe whole family gobbles it up, veggies and all!
Sometimes it seems impossible to make a meal that pleases the whole family. What one child happily eats, the other one suddenly isnโt โin the mood for.โ But every once in a while, I come across a recipe that everyone loves, like this orecchiette pasta dish adapted from Lidiaโs Italian Table by Lidia Bastianich. Not only is it quick and easy to makeโ25 minutes topsโbut the whole family devours it, broccoli and all.
โMy whole family loves this (even my 5 year old who doesnโt typically like pasta). Itโs so nice to have an easy go-to meal for the middle of the week that my small children get excited about and so does my husband. Thank you!!โ
What Youโll Need To Make Orecchiette With Sausage & Broccoli
- Orecchiette is named for its shape, which resembles a small ear (the Italian word orecchiette means small ear). If you canโt find it, itโs fine to substitute another pasta, like farfalle or fusilli.
- Italian sausage is a great ingredient to have on hand for weeknight dinners. Not only is it quick and easy to cook, but itโs also flavored with a variety of aromatics, herbs and spices, such as garlic and fennel, which add depth and complexity to pasta dishes without the need for a lot of additional seasoning. This makes it an easy and convenient way to add flavor to pasta dishes, such as baked ziti and lasagna. Buy bulk sausage, or sausage meat without the casing, if possible (itโs often easy to find around holiday season as itโs used in stuffing recipes). Otherwise, just squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing.
- Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty, and pungent Italian cheese made from sheepโs milk. Itโs readily available in grated form in the cheese section of most large supermarkets but if you canโt find it, itโs fine to substitute Parmigiano Reggiano.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the pasta.ย Bring a large pot of salted water to a boilโit should taste like the sea. Add the orecchiette and cook until al dente.
Step 2: Brown the sausage. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Step 3: Cook the broccoli. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil along with the broccoli, chicken broth, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 4: Enrich the sauce. Stir in the butter until melted, then simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
Step 5: Toss it all together. Add the sausage and broccoli mixture to the drained pasta and tossย well, along with half of the grated cheese.
Step 6: Serve. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or individual bowls and top with the remaining grated cheese. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
More Italian Pasta Dishes Youโll Love
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
Ingredientsย
- 16 oz orecchiette
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 lb broccoli florets
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- ยผ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ยฝ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
Instructions
- 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 to 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 to 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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AMAZING!! Loved this pasta. It was easy to make and delicious.
Made this for dinner tonight โ my husband loved the taste, and I loved how easy it was! I use the bulk sweet Italian sausage from our local grocery store, which comes pre-seasonedโฆadds even more flavor to this dish. Thanks!
Made this tonight and everyone loved it! Will be adding this to our list of pasta dishes. Easy and very tasty. Will add even more broccoli next time.
Delicious pastaโฆbig hit with my teenagers! Wondering why the calories are so high?
Hi Lisa, Glad your teenagers enjoyed it! All of the ingredients are high in calories, unfortunately ๐
Thank you for this wonderful recipe and adaptation. We thoroughly enjoyed it and will make again and again. I did not have Italian sausage so I used turkey breakfast sausage with a seasoning mix to make it โItalianโ. I was glad to find the recipe for the seasoning mix as I will use it, too, again. I did add a handful of Costco tomato Rubies cut in half and added at the end. Kids are not the only ones needing more veggies, husbands often do too! ๐
Love that idea, Joy. Glad you enjoyed ๐
Terrible, I can make better!
Wonderful. So easy. My entire family loved it. Canโt wait to make it again!!
This was quick, tasty and everyone in my family enjoyed it. I subbed italian chicken sausage and turned out great. Thanks!
Oustanding! I made this for dinner tonight. The result reminded me of the delicious pastas I enjoyed while working for a trendy, delicious (expensive) Italian restaurant in NYC. The kind I canโt afford to eat at anymore! Iโm happy to know how to make a pasta that good at home and for friends. Thank you, Jen! I so appreciate your efforts to create, teach and publish great recipes.
Simple, speedy, tasty, kids fighting for dibs on leftovers for school lunches = success. This recipe moves into the after work meal rotation with a bullet.
I am a big fan of Lydia as well and this recipe was an excellent adaptation !
Easy as pie and full of flavour. This is going into regular rotation.