Unlike many iconic Italian recipes, this luxurious union of silky broccoli rabe, chile-flecked sausage, garlic, and curvaceous pasta is a weeknight hero. You can make it start to finish, in about 30 minutes. The key to successful execution is to go way beyond blanching when it comes to precooking the broccoli rabe in boiling salted water. For tender rabe that melds seamlessly with pasta and sausage, start by separating the thick stems from the rest of the stalks and giving them a head start before adding the rest. It removes any unpleasant bitterness and also means the rabe will cook into the saucy base of browned sausage and sweated garlic in just minutes.
While orecchiette is the traditional pasta choice, any short pasta will work. Sausage has become a popular addition to the true original Pugliese dish of stewed broccoli rabe with pasta, but a tin of anchovies makes a great substitute for added oomph and intensity.
This recipe is one of BA’s Best, our vault of the Test Kitchen's definitive takes on iconic dishes.
Recipe information
Total Time
35 minutes
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
2
1
4
1
1
4
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Cut 2 large bunches broccoli rabe, trimmed, in half crosswise to separate thick stalks from thinner stems and florets. Cook thicker stalks in a medium pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add thinner stems and florets and cook until all of the broccoli rabe is tender (the tip of a paring knife should slide through the stalks with little to no resistance), about 3 minutes. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet with tongs; let sit until cool enough to handle (no need to squeeze out excess water unless dripping wet). Coarsely chop into bite-size pieces.
Step 2
Meanwhile, cook 1 lb. orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or other short pasta in a second medium pot of boiling salted water until al dente (or use same pot with fresh salted water). Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
Step 3
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook 1 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed if needed, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until golden brown and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add 1 head of garlic, cloves separated, peeled, thinly sliced, and remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil. Cook, breaking up sausage even finer if needed and stirring often, until garlic is golden brown and softened, 3–4 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender and wilted, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add 4 Tbsp. (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, pasta, and 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Cook, stirring often and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is coated in a clingy sauce. Taste and add some crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Add 1 oz. Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup), and stir, adding more pasta cooking liquid a splash at a time as needed to keep sauce smooth and shiny, until incorporated; season with salt.
Step 5
Divide pasta among shallow bowls and top with more Parmesan.