Orecchiette with Broccoli & sausage

By Muzungu

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb broccoli
• Coarse salt
• 1/4 cup extra -virgin olive oil
• 1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage
• 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
• 3 large cloves garlic, m inced
• 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
• 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Separate the broccoli florets from the stems and
then pare the stems with a knife. Leave the floret clusters whole unless they're especially large; if so,
cut them in half.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high
heat. Add the stems and cook for 3 or 4 min.; add the
florets, and cook both for another 5 minutes until both arejust tender (test with a sharp paring knife).

With tongs or a slotted spoo n , transfer the pieces to ice water as they're done. When cool, drain the broccoli well and chop it coarsely.

Top u p the pot with more hot waterand return it to a boil.

Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderate
heat. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a
wooden spoon, until it loses its pink color.

Add thered pepper flakes and garlic and saute briefly to release the garlic's fragrance. Add the broccoli and season well with salt. Stir to coat the broccoli with
the seasonings.

Keep warm over low heat.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook it
until it's just shy of al dente ( 1 to 2 min. less than the
suggested cooking time) .

Reserve 1 cup of the cooking
Drain the pasta and return it to the warm, empty
pot.
Add the contents of the skillet to the pasta and
cook it over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until
the pasta is al dente, adding as much of the reserved
water as needed to keep the pasta moist.

Remove from the heat, stir i n 1/4 cup of the cheese, and divide the pasta among six warm bowls. Top each portion with some of the remaining cheese.