Ina's Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
For Episode Two of my Cooking With the Experts series, I made Ina Garten’s Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof. My version uses fewer crushed tomatoes, mild Italian sausage with crushed red pepper, and white wine instead of red. The result is a hearty pasta dinner with savory sausage, tender broccoli rabe and plenty of Parmesan.
Ingredients
- 1 lb milk italian pork sausage (links with the casing removed, or ground sausage)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 28 ounce can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- ½ cup dry white wine (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water and to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lb dried orecchiette pasta
- 2 bunches broccoli rabe or baby broccoli
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- reserved pasta water, as needed (I used about ½ cup)
Instructions
- Heat a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground Italian sausage and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it apart as it browns. Drain any excessive grease if necessary.
- Add the olive oil, sliced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for approximately 1 minute, stirring frequently so the garlic does not burn.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, white wine, tomato paste, kosher salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer while you prepare the pasta and broccoli rabe.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook for exactly 9 minutes.
- While the pasta cooks, trim the broccoli rabe just below the leaves and discard the thick stems. Cut the remaining leafy portions into approximately 2-inch pieces.
- While the pasta cooks, trim the broccoli rabe just below the leaves and discard the thick stems. Cut the remaining leafy portions into approximately 2-inch pieces.
- After the pasta has cooked for 9 minutes, add the broccoli rabe directly to the same pot. Continue cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli rabe is crisp-tender.
- Reserve approximately ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and broccoli rabe together.
- Add the drained pasta and broccoli rabe to the sausage and tomato sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
- If the pasta seems dry, add the reserved cooking water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta nicely.
- Taste and adjust the salt, pepper or crushed red pepper as needed. Serve hot with additional Parmesan.
Ground sausage: Ina’s original recipe uses sausage links that are first roasted and then sliced. I used ground mild Italian sausage and browned it directly in my sauté pan. It eliminated the oven step, made the preparation quicker and distributed the sausage throughout the pasta. Since I couldn’t find hot Italian sausage, I added approximately 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper for heat.
Notes
- Tomatoes: The recipe in my copy of Barefoot Contessa Foolproof calls for two 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes. I used only one because 56 ounces felt like it would overwhelm the other ingredients. One can gave me plenty of sauce while allowing the sausage and broccoli rabe to stand out.
- Wine: Ina calls for dry red wine, but I used dry white wine because that was the bottle I already had open. I didn’t want to open a bottle of red and risk wasting it, and the white wine turned out beautifully.
- Sausage: The original combines mild and hot Italian sausage. I could not find hot sausage, so I used all mild Italian sausage and added approximately 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. The level of heat was perfect for us.
- Follow the nine-minute timer: Ina has the timing down to a T. Cook the orecchiette for exactly 9 minutes before adding the broccoli rabe to the same pot.
- Reserve the pasta water: Scoop it out before draining. You may not need all of it, but a splash helps the sauce and Parmesan coat the orecchiette.
- Broccoli rabe is pleasantly bitter: That slight bitterness balances the rich sausage, tomatoes and cheese. It becomes milder as it cooks.
- This recipe was adapted for Episode Two of Cooking With the Experts. See Episode One featuring Brunch With Babs and learn more about the inspiration behind the series.