Recipes Dinner Pasta and Noodle Dishes Pasta Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe 5.0 (2) 1 Review This hearty pasta from Puglia takes less than 30 minutes, making it one of our weeknight go-tos. By Chandra Ram Chandra Ram Chandra Ram leads the digital food strategy for Food & Wine. She has 15 years experience writing and editing food content and developing recipes. A former restaurant cook and server, she also writes cookbooks. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 3, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 4 servings Jump to recipe This pasta is one of our favorites. Sweet-spicy Italian sausage and bitter broccoli rabe are amplified by a lot of garlic, a handful of grated or shaved Parmesan, and a healthy pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. If you want to bump up the umami in this dish, add an anchovy or two to the pan along with the garlic, and mash them into the broccoli rabe. Frequently asked questions What is broccoli rabe? Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is a green vegetable known for its delicious nutty, bitter flavor, often used in Italian cooking. Despite its name and appearance, broccoli rabe is not a type of broccoli, but actually more closely related to the turnip. What is Broccoli Rabe? (And How Should You Cook It?) Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen We like to sauté pieces of the broccoli rabe until they brown, but if you want to temper its inherent bitterness a bit more, blanch the broccoli rabe in the boiling pasta water for two minutes, then add it to the pan with the sausage drippings. Adding the garlic towards the end of the cooking process, when the broccoli rabe is almost done, ensures the garlic doesn’t overly brown or burn while the broccoli rabe cooks. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Kosher salt 1 pound dried orecchiette 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet or spicy), removed from casing 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound broccoli rabe, tough ends trimmed, chopped into 1-inch pieces 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped Shaved Parmesan for garnish 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more as needed Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orecchiette and boil until al dente according to package instructions, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain orecchiette, reserving about half a cup of pasta cooking water, and transfer to a bowl with sausage. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium. Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking sausage up with a wooden spoon so it browns evenly, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove sausage from skillet and transfer to a large bowl; leave drippings in skillet. Add olive oil to skillet, keeping heat at medium. Add broccoli rabe to pan and cook until wilted and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Season broccoli rabe with salt and add garlic. Cook garlic, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer broccoli rabe and garlic to the bowl with the pasta and sausage and toss to combine with reserved pasta water. Divide the pasta among 4 bowls, top it with shaved Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes, and serve. Rate It Print