Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Ear-shaped pasta tossed with spicy sausage, bitter greens, garlic, and golden breadcrumbs.
Recipe Author
Riff Kitchen@riffkitchen
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Ear-shaped pasta tossed with spicy sausage, bitter greens, garlic, and golden breadcrumbs.
By Riff KitchenOn Riff.kitchen, recipes start from what is already in your fridge. Add what you have, and it plans around whatever goes off first.
- 10 prep · 25 cook
- 35 min
- servings
- 4
- effort
- Medium
Chef's note
The bitterness of the greens perfectly balances the rich, salty sausage for a sophisticated restaurant-style meal at home.
Method
9 steps · tap one to tick it off
Tips
Blanch the greens first. Three minutes in the boiling pasta water tames broccoli rabe's bitterness, and the same pot then cooks the orecchiette, so there is one less pan to wash.
Save a mug of pasta water before draining. Its starch binds the Parmesan and the sausage fat into a glossy sauce. Without it the pasta turns greasy and dry.
Add the breadcrumbs at the table. Toasted on their own and scattered on last, they stay crunchy instead of soaking up the sauce.
Swaps
No broccoli rabe? Broccolini or chopped kale, blanched a minute less. Milder and less bitter.
No orecchiette pasta? Small shells or cavatelli, which catch the sauce the same way.
No Italian sausage? Sweet Italian sausage with an extra pinch of red pepper flakes, or chicken sausage for a leaner dish.
Storage
Fridge: 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. Keep the breadcrumbs in a separate jar so they stay crisp.
Freezer: 2 to 3 months for best quality. The pasta and greens come back softer.
Reheat: In a skillet with a splash of water, stirring until steaming hot (75°C in the center).
Fridge and reheating follow Illinois Extension; freezer times are for quality and follow the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as on what freezes and what does not.
Made it?
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Riff Assistant
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Chef's note
The bitterness of the greens perfectly balances the rich, salty sausage for a sophisticated restaurant-style meal at home.
Instructions
Follow the steps to perfection.
Tips
Blanch the greens first. Three minutes in the boiling pasta water tames broccoli rabe's bitterness, and the same pot then cooks the orecchiette, so there is one less pan to wash.
Save a mug of pasta water before draining. Its starch binds the Parmesan and the sausage fat into a glossy sauce. Without it the pasta turns greasy and dry.
Add the breadcrumbs at the table. Toasted on their own and scattered on last, they stay crunchy instead of soaking up the sauce.
Swaps
No broccoli rabe? Broccolini or chopped kale, blanched a minute less. Milder and less bitter.
No orecchiette pasta? Small shells or cavatelli, which catch the sauce the same way.
No Italian sausage? Sweet Italian sausage with an extra pinch of red pepper flakes, or chicken sausage for a leaner dish.
Storage
Fridge: 3 to 4 days in a sealed container. Keep the breadcrumbs in a separate jar so they stay crisp.
Freezer: 2 to 3 months for best quality. The pasta and greens come back softer.
Reheat: In a skillet with a splash of water, stirring until steaming hot (75°C in the center).
Fridge and reheating follow Illinois Extension; freezer times are for quality and follow the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as on what freezes and what does not.
Made it?
Tap a star to rate it.
Community Reviews 0
No reviews yet. Be the first to try this!
Riff Assistant
Ready to Remix