In Puglia, orecchiette con le cime di rape (orecchiette with broccoli rabe) is one of the staple pastas and I consumed many bowls of it when I was there. It’s essentially pasta with broccoli rabe that is cooked with lots of garlic and chiles. This version adds sausage to ramp up the protein/flavor and a touch of tomato paste to create a glossy tomato sauce. It’s worthy of a special occasion meal but also simple enough for a weeknight dinner. If you can find broccoli rabe, then use it! If not, broccolini is a good substitute or just use regular broccoli.
It also requires minimal prep and comes together quickly – cook the pasta (save that water), brown the sausage, then cook the tomato paste, then add pasta water + broccolini to quickly cook/steam it, then stir in the sausage, pasta, and cheese until it all comes together!
Ingredient highlight
Broccolini! These tender stalks are essentially baby broccoli. They a milder and slightly sweeter taste than broccoli and their stems are so tender that you don’t have to trim them off. Broccolini contains similar nutrients as broccoli – fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and potassium.
Servings 4
Prep Time 5 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 8 oz short pasta (rigatoni, penne, orecchiette)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12-16 oz raw Italian sausage, casings removed*
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed or thinly sliced**
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes**
- 1 cup reserved pasta water, divided
- 1 large or 2 small bunches (about 10 oz) broccolini, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)***
- ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese (blender parm) + more for topping
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- *Buy raw in bulk or remove the casings. Tear the sausage into bite-sized pieces to make it easier to crumble up in the pan.
- *You could also just use 12-16 oz of any ground meat and add in some extra garlic and 2 tsp fennel seeds.
- **Since sausage already has these flavors, you could totally leave these out. I like adding some extra garlic and spice.
- ***Or use regular finely chopped broccoli
Instructions
- Fill a medium-large pot with water (about 2-2.5 quarts) and bring to a boil over high heat. Season the water generously with salt (about 1 tbsp). Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Reserve about 1 ½ cups of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the sausage, break it into chunks and let it cook, undisturbed, for about 2-3 minutes or until nicely browned. Continue to cook and break it up into smaller crumbles until cooked through with crispy bits, about 2-3 more minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate or bowl.
- To the skillet, warm a light drizzle of oil over medium heat (depending on how much oil is left in the pan, you just need a little bit). Add the tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook until the tomato paste darkens in color/caramelizes, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in ½ cup of the pasta water, then add the broccolini. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the broccolini is crisp tender, stirring often. Add the sausage, pasta, cheese, and another ½ cup pasta water and cook, stirring often, until a glossy sauce forms and coats the noodles, about 2 more minutes. Add more pasta water, if needed to create more of a saucy consistency.
- Serve topped with more parmesan, black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Smash or thinly slice 3 cloves garlic
- Cut 1 large or 2 small bunches broccolini into bite-sized pieces (about 4 cups)
- Finely grate ½ cup parmesan
- You could brown/cook the sausage ahead.
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, replace the sausage with 1-2 cans of drained beans. You can brown the beans in oil (and about ½-1 tsp salt) or just add them in with the pasta. To add more sausage-like flavor, add in some extra garlic and 2 tsp fennel seeds. Beans always need more salt, so add in ½-1 teaspoon extra salt or just salt to taste.
- To make dairy-free, skip the parm and add an extra ½ teaspoon of salt (and more to taste). Top with some toasted almonds or walnuts.
- To make gluten-free, use a GF pasta.
- Read the substitution ideas under the ingredient list!
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftovers in the microwave (or on the stovetop) until warmed through, stirring after each 30 second interval to ensure even heating. Be sure to top with a generous squeeze of lemon, more parm, pepper, and some fresh herbs if you have them.
- To stretch leftovers, I would add a scoop of cottage cheese on top of the pasta for some extra protein. You could also stir in a can of beans to stretch it! Microwave the beans to warm them up, then toss them in some salt and oil before adding to the pasta (always season your beans!!).
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