Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
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Packed with flavor and easy to make, this orecchiette with sausage and broccoli is a longtime favorite—the whole family gobbles it up, veggies and all!
Sometimes it seems impossible to make a meal that pleases the whole family. What one child happily eats, the other one suddenly isn’t “in the mood for.” But every once in a while, I come across a recipe that everyone loves, 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.
“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
Step 1: Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil—it should taste like the sea. Add the orecchiette and cook until al dente.
Step 2: Brown the sausage. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Step 3: Cook the broccoli. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil along with the broccoli, chicken broth, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 4: Enrich the sauce. Stir in the butter until melted, then simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
Step 5: Toss it all together. Add the sausage and broccoli mixture to the drained pasta and toss well, along with half of the grated cheese.
Step 6: Serve. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or individual bowls and top with the remaining grated cheese. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
More Italian Pasta Dishes You’ll Love
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 16 oz orecchiette
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 lb sweet or spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz chicken broth
- 1 lb broccoli florets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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.
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Have just made this and so DELICIOUS! Even our 2 year old asked for seconds. I used Italian sausages out of the casings and added half a bunch of shredded kale too. So so so good! 🙂
I thought this was way too greasy. If you’re using regular sausage you don’t need to add the oil and butter. If I make it again I will use lower fat sausage and maybe 1 TBL salted butter and oil.
Super easy recipe to follow. The entire family loved this dish and I served it with a salad and warm rolls!!
Fantastic! I have been searching for oricchiette since this recipe came out but I decided to give up and use baby shell pasta. I made two versions for dinner…one as written and one omitting the meat to accommodate all guests. We all loved the flavour. I served with a salad dressed in your Italian dressing and the balsamic beets.
My whole family LOVES this. So good! Super fast, delicious meal. I’ve used pork, turkey and chicken sausage. All work well.
Hi Jenn! Any suggestions for making this ahead for a dinner party? I’d love to be able to have ready a couple of hrs beforehand and then reheat.
Hi Kerry, you could do that or even make and freeze it if you’d like. Hope everyone enjoys!
Do you think its better to reheat in the same skillet stovetop or the microwave? or maybe all the same?
Hi Kerry, I think the stovetop would be best for reheating so you can add a little liquid in case the dish has dried out a bit. Just make sure just to reheat it and not continue to cook it.
Made exactly as written and it was perfect and easy.
Made this tonight with whole-wheat orecchiette and Big Italian Salad. Very easy, very delicious, and husband approved. I made 1/2 a recipe for 2 of us and we had plenty of leftovers.
Hey there,
Just wondering, does anyone know where to get this type of sausage in Australia, in particular Brisbane? Would love to make this but have never seen sausage like this anywhere. Is there any way you could make it yourself? I have a mincer.
Thanks
Talia
Try making your own. I tried once (because I wanted it healthier/less salt) but misplaced the recipe. Here’s one close to it though I don’t remember using red wine (read the comments and tweak, if necessary)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-mild-italian-sausage-recipe.html
I am making this tonight and just realized i’m out of Sherry. It’s snowy here and i don’t feel like going out. Which is a better substitute: Marsala, White wine, or chicken stock? I’m leaning towards Marsala…
I made the oriechetti pasta tonight and it was great! i added a bit more red pepper flakes because we don’t have kids and my husband likes spice. it was really delicious and i will be making it again for sure. I’m making the Thai ginger shrimp tomorrow night.