It’s become as ubiquitous as calamari fritti and with good reason. But do you know how to make it? Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage has become a staple. It’s delicious and wholesome and very simple to prepare. Today’s article will walk you through the process.
Cavatelle with Broccoli Rabe & Sausage
1 head broccoli rabe, trimmed of rough ends
8 oz. sweet or hot Italian sausage
1 lb. pasta (for this rendition I used Cavatelle)
1/2 sweet Vidalia Onion
2-3 garlic cloves, smashed
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Begin by browning the sausage in a saute pan large enough to ultimately hold all the ingredients. Cook the sausage through. Add some extra virgin olive oil along with the garlic and onions and saute scraping the bottom of the pan as you go. Season with salt and pepper.
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| ~ Sausage, Onions & Garlic Working. I added one tomato that I had on hand which was starting to go bad. Ahh, Cucina Povera! Nothing is wasted! ~ |
Meanwhile, chop the broccoli rabe into rough pieces; about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in length. When the water for the pasta boils, blanche the broccoli rabe for about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the broccoli rabe to the saute pan and check for seasoning.
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| ~ Blanced Broccoli Rabe ~ |
Cook the pasta until just short of al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the “condimento”. Drizzle a healthy amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and add crushed red pepper flakes to taste. If the pasta seems “tight” add some of the pasta cooking water and check for seasoning.
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| ~ This is the dish just prior to plating. We took this to the table and served directly from the pan. ~ |
This is delicious and satisfying and can be made in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta. I like this dish to be spicy, so depending upon whether you use sweet or hot sausage, adjust your crushed red pepper accordingly. Pair this with a Chianti Classico…. perfetto!
Tutti a tavola a mangiare!
Maybe a Chianti Classico Querciavale produced close to Vagliagli by my family!
Valeria, that would be excellent! There are lots of wonderful producers near Vagliagli – which is such a small but charming town. Thanks for reading and commenting. I will email you shortly. A presto…..