Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli is a satisfying pasta packed with savory flavors! Ready in 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights!
You can’t go wrong with easy, quick Pasta Recipes made with a few ingredients that taste amazing. This pasta dish joins other winning dinner ideas like Baked Spaghetti or my Creamy Cavatelli Pasta!
Sabrina’s Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Recipe
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli is a rustic dish using a handful of ingredients to make a flavorful dish without any complicated steps. This is a simple, classic Italian recipe perfect for beginners. For newer home cooks, this recipe is great to show how little techniques, like using pasta water, make a big impact on a dish.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta
- 1 pound Sweet Italian sausage , removed from casings
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta one minute shy of the directions then drain BUT save ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Add olive oil to the pot with sausage and cook for about 5-6 minutes, breaking it apart as you cook it until browned.
- Add broccoli, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to pot and cook for 5-6 minutes, until broccoli has softened.
- Add drained pasta to the pot, stir well to combine and add in pasta water, parmesan cheese, stirring until it makes a light sauce.
Nutrition
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Sabrina Tips
If you have never reserved pasta water for sauce, now is the time to start! I always save a little pasta water before draining because the starch helps create a silky, flavorful sauce. I can add it a splash at a time until it reaches the perfect consistency.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
You may have seen this southern Italian dish made with broccoli rabe. Also known as rapini, broccoli rabe has a similar taste and bitterness as mustard greens. To make the meal more family friendly, this recipe uses broccoli instead. Not only is broccoli easier for kids to love, it also cooks in half the time so this dish is ready in about 25 minutes.
What is Orecchiette?
The type of pasta makes a difference in this dish too. Orecchiette means small ear in Italian and that’s what these curved pasta shells resemble. The slight indent is almost like a bowl, perfect for scooping up the sausage crumbles, cheese, and garlic in the delicious sauce. Always cook pasta just below al dente so they can finish cooking in the sauce without getting mushy.
Pairing Suggestions
If you want to add side dishes to your dinner, Dinner Rolls and a garden salad are perfect and quick to make. For a restaurant-style dinner, top your salad with this Olive Garden Dressing Copycat and start with a bowl of Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup.
How to Store
- Serve: Pasta can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours before you need to store it.
- Store: Cool the pasta dish completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Once the pasta has cooled down, place in a sealed container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop, adding 1 tablespoons olive oil if the sauce is too dry.
Variations
- Sausage: Use other types of sausage, like turkey sausage or chicken sausage, instead of pork. You can also use other ground meat with a tablespoon or two Italian seasoning blend for flavor.
- Spicy: Substitute hot Italian sausage for the sweet Italian sausage and increase to a ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes for a spicier pasta dish.
- Chicken Broth: To give the light sauce in Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli more depth and flavor, deglaze your pan with chicken broth or white wine.
- Pasta: Use any pasta you like with this dish, but the ones with indents or groves to collect the light sauce are best. Try other shaped pasta like farfalle, fusilli, or conchiglie (shells), or tube pastas like rigatoni or ziti.
- Veggies: Try this dish with other veggies like kale, spinach, red peppers, or broccolini. Either replace the broccoli or just use half the broccoli and another vegetable.
- Broccoli Rabe: To make with Broccoli Rabe, you will need to blanch the broccoli rabe first to remove some of the bitterness. Broccoli rabe should cook about twice as long as broccoli, the longer it cooks the more mellow it will taste.
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These photos were in a previous version of this post
I made this recipe with homemade half whole wheat pasta. It turned out so delicious and comforting. It was incredibly easy to make!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Heather! Great idea using whole wheat pasta. Thank you for the five stars!
Can this be made A day ahead and heated in the oven before the party?
Yes!
I just made this for the first time and Holly Smoke’s so very yummy! The simplicity of it was my favorite, I only added one thing and that was grilled onions. The whole family approves. Thanks.?
Add a tablespoon or two of butter at the end to finish it make is glossy.
Wow amazing
Pasta is delicious…. I added some pasta sauce, muenster, taco and american cheese, a little heavy whipping cream annnnd cajun seasoning … Its a good hearty dinner if you add all the cheese !!! Will make again?
The whole family loved this meal! It was easy and delicious, it will be on our menu often!
Glad to know it’s such a hit!
This looks absolutely incredible, I love trying new pasta dishes. I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks, Matt. I hope you enjoy it!
Perfectly simple and delicious dinner. We used organic broccoli fresh from the grocery store and bulk italian sausage – the flavor was amazing.
Sounds perfect! Thanks for the 5 star rating.