Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Packed with flavor and easy to make, this orecchiette pasta dish is a longtime favorite—the whole family gobbles it up, broccoli and all!
Sometimes it seems impossible to make a meal that pleases the whole family. What one child happily eats, the other one is “not in the mood for.” But every once in a while, I come upon a recipe that everyone lvoes, like this orecchiette pasta dish adapted from Lidia’s Italian Table by Lidia Bastianich. Not only is it quick and easy to make—25 minutes tops—but the whole family devours it, broccoli and all.
Table of Contents
“My whole family loves this (even my 5 year old who doesn’t typically like pasta). It’s so nice to have an easy go-to meal for the middle of the week that my small children get excited about and so does my husband. Thank you!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Orecchiette With Sausage & Broccoli
Orecchiette is named for its shape, which resembles a small ear (the Italian word orecchiette means small ear). If you can’t find it, it’s fine to substitute another pasta, like farfalle or fusilli.
Italian sausage is a great ingredient to have on hand for weeknight dinners. Not only is it quick and easy to cook, but it’s also flavored with a variety of aromatics, herbs and spices, such as garlic and fennel, which add depth and complexity to pasta dishes without the need for a lot of additional seasoning. This makes it an easy and convenient way to add flavor to pasta dishes, such as baked ziti and lasagna. Buy bulk sausage, or sausage meat without the casing, if possible (it’s often easy to find around holiday season as it’s used in stuffing recipes). Otherwise, just squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing.
Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty, and pungent Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. It’s readily available in grated form in the cheese section of most large supermarkets but if you can’t find it, it’s fine to substitute Parmigiano Reggiano.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet and add the sausage.
Cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until the sausage starts to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, broccoli, chicken broth, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the butter until melted and simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
Add the sausage and broccoli mixture to the drained pasta and toss well, along with half of the grated cheese.
Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or individual bowls and top with the remaining grated cheese.
Video Tutorial
You May Also Like
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
Packed with flavor and easy to make, this orecchiette pasta dish is a longtime favorite—the whole family gobbles it up, broccoli and all!
Ingredients
- 1 pound orecchiette
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound broccoli florets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic; cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, chicken broth, broccoli, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to release the flavorful brown bits, until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted and simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
- Drain the pasta well and place back in the pasta pot. Add the sausage and broccoli mixture, along with half of the cheese, and toss to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and pass the remaining grated cheese at the table.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This dish can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated on the stovetop. If the dish has dried out a bit in the freezer, add a little water or broth while reheating. Just take care only to reheat it and not continue to cook it.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 624
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Sodium: 692 mg
- Cholesterol: 51 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This was okay. I thought the olive oil and butter was a bit excessive so I dialed back on OO. I used some pasta water to help emulsify the sauce. I also only used 8 oz. of pasta. If I had used an entire pound, the ratio of pasta to sauce would have been really unbalanced. The quality of the sausage used is critical to the dish. I will definitely make it again, but it wasn’t a “stand out” dish for me.
Holy moly this was delicious! My 7 year old said we should have this every night and my husband said we have to add it to the rotation. Easy to make and incredibly tasty! No leftovers as everyone asked for more.
Fabulous 🙂 Made the recipe exactly as written and pleased with the result. The cheese elevates this dish, bringing all flavors together. Thank you!
My whole family loved this!!! Thank you so much Jenn! So far we’ve all the recipes we’ve tried. My 19 month old asked for seconds!
The sausage, butter, & cheese make this delicious so savory and delicious, and it’s very simple to make! This is one of our family’s favorite go-to dishes when we need to get supper on the table fast. We have changed the type of pasta (to use what’s in the pantry) and added some kale if we are low on broccoli, and it has come out just as delectable.
Jenn, this meal is amazing. We live in Northern Canada. I know. Who lives there?🤷🏻♀️ We do. No orrechietie. None. We used farfalle. No pecorino Romano either. I know. What’s a girl to do? We have broccoli. We also have an amazing butcher. He makes all his sausages by hand. We also have access to this delightful spice merchant. Silk Road Spice Merchant, Calgary, Alberta. Our girls live in Calgary, Alberta and they send us our spice requests.We live so north of Calgary. However, we made this dinner according to what we had available. We used farfalle, added 4 garlic cloves and used Italian sausage from our local butcher plus heat from the Silk Road. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for our baselines. I tried to give you five stars but your website wouldn’t let me.
This is a great recipe. Simple to make, flavorful and both kids and adults like it.
This is a delicious, family friendly dish that is very quick and easy to prepare.
We like things with bold, spicy flavors so the only thing I did differently from the recipe was to add more garlic and some Mediterranean-style mixed herb seasoning.
I used Parmesan cheese as I always have that on hand but I think grated Asiago would also be delicious!
I served this with a nice green salad and some lovely, crusty bread and was pleased to serve it to company. And by the by, they raved about it!
I have made this many times. Usually a request from my family. We love it!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! It’s a favorite my mine and my husband’s! It makes a good amount of food for just two people, so I am always able to bring some for lunch the next day. I sure it would be the perfect amount for a family of three or four. I tend to let the sauce reduce for a bit longer than specified, since I never feel like it’s just quite ready in the time allotted. I also feel like this extra time also allows the broccoli to cook longer so it’s a bit more tender. Sometimes I will also add a little extra broth (and sometimes more olive oil and butter) to make a but more sauce so that there is enough to stand being reheated for lunch the second day – I find that my second day pasta tends to soak up the sauce like crazy! Great recipe! Will of course be making this again (and again and again)!
This recipe is easy and delicious. My grandchildren always ask me to make it when I visit them. I have also used frozen peas instead of broccoli sometimes.
This is a go-to recipe in my house–it’s on the table at least every other week. Quick, easy and pleases everyone in my family. Always a winner!
5 stars! This recipe came together so quickly and was fantastic. You know it’s a winner when 3 children 5 yrs old and under ask for seconds! Don’t skip the Pecorino Romano..it really adds great flavor & for a little added kick, we added a bit more red pepper flakes to my husband & my bowls. Bon apetit!
Made this dish last night. Loved it. More importantly the teenagers said it was “very nice” which is an accomplishment in itself!
Very yummy! Husband and I both loved it! Definitely make it again!
My DH & I both loved this! It’s as good as a dish from a fine Italian restaurant. We’ll be making this often. Such a nice change from red sauce Italian and easy to throw together.
Wow, this was good!
Looks delish – what do you think about substituting sliced andouille sausage for ground sausage? Is it what’s in my freezer
Hi Steph, That should work, but if the andouille sausage is already cooked, you’ll just need to brown it. Please lmk how it turns out!
This sounds sooooo delicious! Any suggestions for lightening it up without losing much flavor, though?
Thanks!
Hi Susan, You can cut back a little on the olive oil and drain the sausage to remove some of the oil after browning. I’d go lightly there though, so you don’t sacrifice too much of the richness and flavor. Hope you enjoy!
Jen, do you think this recipe would freeze well?
I do!
This has become our go-to recipe – it’s so, so good and comforting! Thank you!
This was so yummy! Our whole family loved it. Used Buona mild Italian sausage – added a bit more broth and more cheese. Omitted some of the olive oil because I didn’t drain the sausage. This recipe is a keeper for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Made this tonight for mom and husband, they loved it. I didn’t have orecchiette, so I used campanile. I had bulk sausage on hand, but it was the hot sausage, so I did not add the red pepper flakes. I am going to try this with chicken sausage, since one kid really likes chicken.
Does the 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes make the dish spicy? I have toddlers and a husband who don’t really tolerate spicy food. I don’t want to omit it if it helps bring out the flavor without making it spicy.
Hi Diane, it’s such a small amount that it won’t have a bit impact on the taste or the spice level, so don’t worry about omitting it. Hope you enjoy!
This has to be one of the most delish things I’ve ever made. SO easy and quick! And the recipe makes a ton! Can’t want to make this again!
I put the lid on the skillet after adding the broccoli to help it cook a bit quicker.
This was excellent! Made it last night for dinner and we all had seconds. Will be in our regular rotation due to ease of making and loved by all! Great recipe Jenn
Turned out great despite not finding any orecchiette at our local grocery store. Also added shiitakes and finished it off with a little fresh squeezed lemon. Will definitely make this again.
We just love this recipe! I’ve tried several versions and this one is the best. I’ve even ordered similar dishes at wonderful restaurants and they never compare. Comes together quickly for a satisfying weeknight family meal. My children love the “little ears” pasta! Thank you!
I made this tonight with spicy Italian sausage, and ravioli as that was what I had on hand. It came together so fast and my husband loved it! Absolutely delicious…
What is the best salad to serve with this?
I think this one is perfect for it. Hope you enjoy!
I made this without the butter and it was still quite good – entire family including picky 3 year old enjoyed.
I made this tonight and was disappointed though it looked delicious It was too spicy, buttery, and greasy even though I used half pound of sausage and drained most of the fat and let it simmer a while to infuse the flavors. Maybe white wine would have cut the buttery flavor. I’m not giving up on this one because it did look yummy. Next time I will use ground beef.
This is one of my favorite recipes for a quick dinner. Sometimes I reserve a cup of pasta water (just before draining) to add right before serving if I want more of a “sauce”. I don’t use the entire cup of water, I add bit by bit until it’s the consistency I want.
Thanks for the recipe Jenn!
I love this dish! Simple easy pasta dish. I add more butter/broth (double what is in recipe) etc to make the broth a little more substantial. Especially if it sits for a little bit it tends to absorb the sauce more. Extra cheese as well!
By far one of my favorite recipes. Quick, easy and delish! I did use a good drinking wine for half of the chicken broth and it came out perfect. Thank you!
Such an easy dish to make. We just had our niece over and everyone liked it.
This recipe is outstanding! I made it for dinner last night. It was easy to prepare, tasted like something I would find on the menu in a really good Italian restaurant. I will definitely make again. Thank so much for sharing!
“Gimme some more of that mom! That’s delicious!” —my 5 year old
I actually did not have grated Parmesan, so I sprinkled in a five cheese Italian shredded blend that I had on hand.
I’m glad to hear that this website is virtually a cooking bible. Dinner, solved. I’m gonna cook my way straight through it.
Can I use frozen broccoli in this recipe?
You can, Maureen – just keep in mind that it’s already cooked so you just need to warm it through.
Made this recipe last night using frozen broccoli…. super easy and a big hit wit the family.
Great recipe! Full of flavor.
I was a little worried that the recipe wouldn’t have enough sauce, but I went ahead with it and boy am I glad I did! It was delicious. So yummy and SO easy. This website is my cooking bible – I’ve never tried anything I haven’t liked. Jenn knows what she’s doing!
I have made this recipe several times and it is so easy and delicious. I followed the recipe and it turned out great! My husband comments how good it is whenever I prepare this! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Fast and easy to prepare, delicious to eat, a family favorite.
Absolutely wonderful! Even my son, who hates broccoli, loves this dish. I made sure the florets were very small and cooked for just a minute or two.
Excellent recipe – we make this at least once a month. My kids love it because it’s delicious, and I love it because it’s fast and easy to prepare. We’ve used all kinds of pasta (elbows, rotini, etc.), and I’ve substituted sliced kielbasa for the sausage many times. Thanks Jenn!
Fabulous and easy meal! I loved the flavor of the dish, and it was yummy the next day for lunch, too. It will be a regular in my rotation.
This was fabulous—I made exactly as directed, but like another person, deglazed the pan with some white wine—I used gluten-free rotini and best quality Italian sausages made in-house at our gourmet grocery store—My husband LOVED this!
I made this delicious dish tonight. I couldn’t find the orechiette pasta so I used Gnocchi. It worked out great. I also added some onions in with the garlic and at the end a little white wine and half and half. It was very tasty. Will make this dish again. Thank you, Lynne Pilie Metairie Louisiana. Do you have a good chicken stew recipe? My family loves this dish.
Hi Lynne, So glad you enjoyed the pasta! I don’t have a chicken stew recipe but a few options that may satisfy that need with a different twist: Thai Chicken and Rice Noodle Soup, Indian Spiced Red Lentil and Chicken Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and White Chicken Chili. Hope you enjoy if you try any of them!
Delicious- all the kids ate all of it!!
5 Stars. I love this recipe. I make it with broccoli rabe also. This is a very traditional italian dish. One meal in one dish with a salad.