Broccoli Pasta with Sausage (Orecchiette con broccoli)

5 from 1 vote

Broccoli Pasta with Sausage (Orecchiette con broccoli)

Broccoli pasta with sausage made with dome-shaped orecchiette or another pasta shape of your choice. A super tasty 25-minute pasta recipe.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 904kcal

Author: Helen

Ingredients

200 g dried orecchiette (or other short pasta of choice) (Note 1)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 red chilli finely chopped (Note 2)
200 g high-quality Italian sausages skins removed and chopped into small 2cm or ½ inch pieces (Note 3)
200 g broccoli roughly chopped into small bite-sized pieces (Note 4)
125 ml chicken stock (Note 5)
15 g butter room temperature

To serve

Freshly ground black pepper to serve
Freshly grated Parmesan to serve

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a medium to large pan of generously salted water to boil, add the pasta and simmer until al dente. This normally takes 10-12 minutes. (Note 6)
Meanwhile, set a large frying pan to a medium heat, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic and chilli for 1-2 minutes.
Add the chopped sausage and fry for a few more minutes until cooked.
Add the broccoli and fry for 2 minutes.
Pour the chicken stock into the pan and leave to simmer on a medium to high heat until the broccoli is tender and stock has evaporated.
At this point, the pasta should be al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before you drain it with a colander.
Add the cooked pasta to the broccoli / broccolini and sausage mixture and mix and stir in the butter.
Add the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if required to moisten the pasta.
Serve with freshly ground black pepper and freshly grated Parmesan.

Notes

Pasta: I use orecchiette because I love how the other ingredients and flavour in the dish settle into its indentation. However, other types of short pasta, like fusili, rigatoni, farfalle, conchiglie and penne, will work well.
Fresh red chilli: Swap for chilli flakes or feel free to omit this if you prefer not to add any heat to the dish.
Sausage: I recommend using high-quality Italian sausages if you can because their robust seasoning will add more flavour to the dish. Feel free to use what's available if you aren't able to buy Italian sausages.
Broccoli: You can use regular broccoli, tenderstem or broccolini chopped into even bite-sized pieces.
Chicken stock: Substitute with veg stock.
Pasta water: Should taste salty like the sea so salt generously. It may seem like a lot of salt but remember that most of it will go down the drain with the pasta water.

Storage instructions:

This dish tastes best when eaten fresh but the leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave.

Nutrition