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Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 40 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • Salt
  • 1 pound broccoli
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, or more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or more to taste
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausages (2 to 3 sausages), chopped
  • 1 pound cut pasta like orecchiette, penne, ziti, or farfalle
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

  1. Bring a stockpot of water to a boil and salt it. Trim the broccoli and cut it into pieces. Add the broccoli to the pot and return the water to a boil.
  2. Meanwhile, put the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and the sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is well browned, about 5 minutes. Remove it from the skillet and turn the heat off .
  3. Start checking the broccoli after 5 minutes. You want it fully tender but not mushy; this could take up to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or small strainer to scoop up the broccoli, draining off excess water, and transfer it to the skillet. (Keep the water boiling.)
  4. Cook the broccoli over medium-high heat, stirring and mashing it slightly with a potato masher, until it is quite soft and breaks apart. If you need to, add a tablespoon or two of the boiling water to help soften the broccoli. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water until it is tender but not mushy; start tasting after 5 minutes.
  5. When the pasta is done, scoop out and reserve at least 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain it. Add the pasta, sausage, and a splash of cooking water to the broccoli; toss until combined, adding a little more water or olive oil if necessary to make a slightly creamy sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding lots of black pepper and the Parmesan cheese. Toss again and serve, passing more cheese at the table.

—Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics

Recipe variations

5 Pastas with Vegetables, with or without Sausage

Use this same recipe with these vegetables instead of the broccoli; you’ll need to vary the boiling time:

  1. Kale, collards, or cabbage will take 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Cauliflower (which is fantastic) will take 10 to 12 minutes.
  3. Broccoli raab and asparagus will take 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Chopped escarole, spinach, or arugula will take about 1 minute.
  5. Mushrooms require no boiling—just trim and slice them, then cook them with the garlic and browned sausage until they shrink and their liquid evaporates, 5 to 10 minutes.