Ready in minutes, this sweet Italian sausage and broccoli rabe with orecchiette is an easy weeknight dinner for the whole family.
I’m nearing the 5-year mark for this blog, so at this point, I just assume I’ve posted the recipes for all of my go-to quick dinners. But every once in a while, I find one that somehow slipped through the cracks. I make this sausage and broccoli rabe with orecchiette (or whatever pasta I have on hand) pretty regularly and yet it has never made it onto the blog – until now. It’s ridiculously easy so I can throw it together in the time it takes the water for the pasta to boil.
The kids used to pick out the broccoli rabe, but now one of them loves it. Progress, people! This time around, the other one at least tried it (then spit it out and said it was too bitter…) The white wine helps take some of the bitterness out too, and of course I add plenty of garlic! If you like spicy food, you can add a little crushed red pepper. We sprinkle it on when serving because the kids prefer it without.
Add these other easy pasta dinners to your go-to dinner list:
- Simple creamy parmesan pasta
- Broccoli pasta with sausage
- Pasta with checca sauce
- Angel hair pasta with shrimp and feta
- Vodka sauce with sausage, prosciutto and peas
- My favorite spaghetti and meatballs
- 4 sweet Italian sausages
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough stems removed then roughly chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- 8 oz. orecchiette or pasta of your choice
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Parmesan cheese
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- While the water heats, heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Squeeze the sausage out of the casings and break it into chunks into the pan. Cook sausage until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe grease from the pan.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. When hot, add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the wine, then the broccoli rabe.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.
- Once the broccoli rabe has softened, add the sausage to the pan. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan as well, tossing everything to coat. Season to taste with salt. If it's dry, drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Serve immediately topped with grated Parmesan and red pepper flake, if desired.
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