This delicious Italian orecchiette pasta dish is packed with flavor and quick to make — and the whole family gobbles it up, broccoli and all.Ingredients:
1 pound of sweet Italian sausage – 1 bunch of broccoli rabe
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil – 3 large garlic cloves, sliced thin – Salt & pepper to taste
1 pound orecchiette pasta – Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving
Remove the sausage from the casing and crumble into small pieces. Wash the broccoli rabe under cold water and pat dry. Cut off and discard about one inch off the bottom of stems. Cut the remaining broccoli rabe into 2-inch pieces.Bring a large pot of liberally salted water to a boil. In a large saute pan or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the crumbled sausage and cook stirring and breaking up the sausage until cooked through and lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon remove the cooked sausage from the pan and set aside, leaving as much oil behind as possible to saute the garlic and broccoli rabe in, if needed add an extra tablespoon of olive oil. Drop the broccoli rabe into the pot of boiling water.
At the same time add the garlic to the saute pan and cook until lightly browned about 2 minutes. Remove the broccoli rabe from the pot using a mesh strainer or tongs, shake excess water out and add to the pan with the garlic. Season with Salt and pepper. Cook stirring until broccoli rabe is tender, 5 minutes.Add the sausage back into the pan and toss to combine. Remove pan from the heat. Meanwhile, add the orecchiette to the pot of boiling water that the broccoli rabe was cooked in. Cook until pasta is al dente and strain.

Place the pan with the broccoli rabe and sausage back over medium-high heat, and add the orecchiette. Toss together until well combined. Dish out the pasta to warm plates and serve with cheese on the side for sprinkling.