Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

By draingal

Ingredients

• 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
• 1 lb. broccoli rabe
• 1 lb. Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• Serve with Parmesan or Romano

Preparation

Step 1

Trim the broccoli rabe by cutting off any tough stems, and chop into 1 inch pieces. Peel the skin off the tougher pieces and cut these into 1 inch pieces as well.
Remove the sausage from the casings and in a small saucepan heat the oil and cook the sausage until it is no longer pink.
Add the garlic, salt and pepper and pepper flakes.
Seat aside.
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta.
Add the broccoli rabe to the pasta and cook until tender.
Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving a small amount of the pasta water.
Return the pasta mixture to the pot and mix well with the sausage oil mixture, adding a little pasta water as needed to keep it moist. Serve piping hot offering the grated cheeses at the table.