Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
A plate of pasta with broccoli, sundried tomatoes, sausage, and shredded cheese on a light green dish.
Print

Broccoli Rabe Sausage Pasta Recipe

Broccoli Rabe Sausage Pasta is a simple, flavorful dish that brings together orecchiette pasta, sweet Italian sausage, and slightly bitter broccoli rabe in a creamy sauce.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Italian Sausage Pasta
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 876kcal
Author Katie Cooksey

Ingredients

  • 10 oz broccoli rabe or baby broccoli or broccolini
  • 1/2 lb orecchiette pasta
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage fresh
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 cup chicken stock or broth
  • 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes diced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup pecorino romano cheese divided

Instructions

  • Wash and trim (on an angle) just the ends of the stems of the broccoli rabe*. If you have thicker stalks, slice them in half lengthwise so all of your broccoli are similar in size.
    Broccoli Rabe Sausage Pasta 6
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, then add broccoli rabe to a steam basket, reduce heat to a simmer, place a lid on the pot, and steam for 4-5 minutes or until tender.
    Broccolini in a steamer basket over a pot with wooden handles on a marble countertop.
  • Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove broccoli rabe and place in a bowl of ice water. Set aside.
    Broccolini stems being placed in a glass bowl of water with tongs, set on a gray and white checkered cloth.
  • Using same pot, increase heat and bring water back to a rolling boil. Cook pasta according to pasta directions for al dente.
    A pot of boiling water with sliced potatoes cooking inside, visible steam and bubbles rising to the surface.
  • Drain pasta and set aside.
    A strainer holding rinsed orecchiette pasta, placed over a glass bowl on a marble countertop, with a white cloth underneath.
  • Add olive oil to a large heated skillet. Over medium-high heat, cook Italian Sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon to create small crumbles.
    Cooking sausages in a frying pan; one is crumbled, others are whole. A wooden spatula is visible.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and add minced garlic, cooking until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add red pepper flakes (optional),
    Ground meat cooking in a pan with minced garlic being added, stirred by a wooden spatula.
  • Add chicken broth and scrape bottom of the pan to deglaze. Increase heat and allow chicken broth to thicken a bit, stirring occassionally.
    Ground meat browning in a skillet with oil, a wooden spatula visible in the foreground.
  • Reduce heat to low. Stir in sun dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and 1/4 cup of the pecorino romano cheese.
    A skillet with cooked ground meat, sun-dried tomatoes, and a creamy sauce.
  • Add cooked broccoli rabe and pasta to the skillet stirring to combine and reheat the broccoli rabe and pasta.
    Broccoli and ground meat cooked in a creamy sauce with tomato pieces in a non-stick pan.
  • Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 pecorino romano cheese and serve warm.
    A pan of pasta with sausage, broccoli, and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with grated cheese. Garlic and cheese are on a side plate.

Video

Notes

*You can cut them into smaller bite sized pieces if desired, but I like the presentation of longer pieces.

Nutrition

Calories: 876kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 1112mg | Potassium: 913mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2484IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 5mg
QR Code linking back to recipe