Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Method10 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Before heating the skillet, peel and lightly crush the garlic, remove the sausage casings and crumble the meat, and measure the wine into two ¼-cup portions. Keep the turkey sausage refrigerated until ready to cook. Rinse the broccoli rabe (1 pound) thoroughly with clean water, trim away tough bottom stems and coarsely chop the tender stalks, leaves and florets. Keep the rinsed greens damp and ready beside the stove.

   Uses 1 pound broccoli rabe, rinsed and tough bottom stems trimmed · Clean water for rinsing the broccoli rabe

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Heat the 2 tablespoons sausage-frying olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the crumbled turkey sausage and cook, stirring often, for about 10–12 minutes, checking from 10 minutes. Continue until nicely browned and fully cooked, reaching 74°C in the sausage, while keeping it tender.

   Check browned turkey sausage · 10 minUses 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for browning the sausage · 1 pound Italian turkey sausage, about 3–4 links, casings removed and meat crumbled

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Raise the heat under the sausage skillet from step 2 to medium-high. Pour in the first ¼ cup white wine and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer for about 2–3 minutes, checking from 2 minutes, until most of the wine is absorbed or evaporated. Turn off the heat and scrape the cooked sausage into a bowl, leaving the same skillet ready for the garlic.

   Check the first wine reduction · 2 minUses Cooked turkey sausage and frying-oil skillet · First ¼ cup dry white wine

4. 4

   Step 4: Return the same skillet from step 3, with its retained pan juices and oil, to medium-low heat. Add the separate ¼ cup garlic-frying olive oil and the crushed garlic (3–4). Cook for about 2–3 minutes, checking from 2 minutes and pressing the cloves with a wooden spoon to release their flavor without burning them.

   Check fragrant garlic · 2 minUses Retained skillet contents after lifting the sausage · ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil for the garlic and greens · 3–4 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed

5. 5

   Step 5: Add the damp trimmed broccoli rabe from step 1 to the garlic skillet from step 4 by the handful, covering for a couple of minutes as needed to wilt each addition enough to fit the rest. Once all the greens fit, add the red pepper flakes (½–1 teaspoon) to taste and the 1 teaspoon fine sea salt. Partly cover and bring to a gentle simmer. From this point cook for about 20–30 minutes, checking from 20 minutes and tossing from time to time, until the greens lose their bright green color and are completely tender.

   Check completely tender broccoli rabe · 20 minUses All trimmed tender greens, excluding discarded stems and rinsing water · Garlic, olive oil and retained skillet juices · ½–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste · 1 teaspoon fine sea salt for the broccoli rabe

   
6. 6

   Step 6: While the greens simmer, fill a large pasta pot about two-thirds full with water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add a generous pinch of the pasta-water salt.

   Uses Water to fill the large pasta pot about two-thirds full · A generous pinch of fine sea salt

7. 7

   Step 7: When the broccoli rabe from step 5 is completely tender, pour in the remaining ¼ cup wine and simmer briefly. Scrape the cooked sausage held in the bowl from step 3 back into the greens and toss just until heated through. Turn off the heat, remove the whole garlic cloves and cover the sausage-and-greens sauce to keep it warm.

   Uses Complete tender broccoli-rabe and garlic-oil skillet · Remaining ¼ cup dry white wine · Cooked sausage and bowl juices, separate from the retained pan contents

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Stir the dry orecchiette into the boiling salted water from step 6. Follow the package timing, cooking about one minute less than recommended so the pasta is barely al dente. Measure out and reserve about 1 cup of starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta and keep it separate from that reserved cup.

   Uses Boiling salted pasta water · 1 pound dry orecchiette pasta

9. 9

   Step 9: Transfer the drained pasta from step 8 to the sausage-and-greens sauce from step 7 and turn the heat to medium-low. Pour in ½ cup from the reserved starchy-water cup. Toss until the pasta is al dente and coated in the sauce, adding another splash from the remaining reserved cup only if needed to finish cooking it. Keep any unused cooking water separate.

   Uses All drained pasta, separate from reserved and discarded cooking water · Complete edible sauce after removing the whole garlic cloves · ½ cup from the separately reserved cooking-water cup · An additional splash only if needed, from the remaining reserved cup

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Divide the dressed orecchiette, sausage and broccoli rabe from step 9 among six bowls. Sprinkle each with a spoonful of grated Pecorino Romano if desired, and serve.

    Uses All finished dressed pasta, excluding any unused reserved cooking water · Freshly grated Pecorino Romano, optional for serving