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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I made this for the second time tonight. I love this recipe. Thanks for posting it.
Another fantastic dish. I haven’t found a bad one yet from Jenn. In fact many of my favorite go to recipes are from this site!. I use this when I need a quick dinner. Always satisfying. I have used broccoli instead of broccolini with great results.
So delicious! I used Parmesan, extra garlic, hot Italian sausage & a bit less pasta. My husband doesn’t care for broccoli rabe (what we’ve had in this dish in the past) so the broccoli is a good substitute.
Can Parmesan be substituted for the Pecorino? Is there a reason you prefer the latter?
Yes, Parmesan can be substituted for the pecorino. I like pecorino here as it has a stronger flavor, but the dish will still be good with the Parmesan. Enjoy!
Love this recipe! I used soy chorizo and it was just as good!
This is my 5 year old’s favorite meal! He’s a super picky eater, but gobbles this up. Always in weeknight dinner rotation at our house. Your recipes never miss! Thank you!
Delicious! I made according to the recipe first time, but this time I added toasted pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes and bite sized pieces of eggplant…. Amazing!
I reviewed this recipe previously and shared with my daughter. Her husband and two sons ask for this weekly. She began doubling the sauce ingredients with great results. Just a FYI.
Simple to make and delicious…..I covered the pan a bit to steam the broccoli.
This is delicious and would be great to use as a drop off meal for a family.