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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
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 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, drain 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 the 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 parmesan cheese. Toss again and serve, passing more cheese at the table.

Note: Don’t skimp on the olive oil since it adds body and flavor to the sauce. In fact, I add another tablespoon or two when tossing the pasta for richness, moisture, and flavor.

Recipe variations

5 pastas with vegetables, with or without sausage: Use the same recipe with these vegetables instead of broccoli; you’ll need to vary the boiling time.

  1. Kale, collards, or cabbage will take 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. Cauliflower will take 10 to 12 minutes.
  3. Broccoli rabe and asparagus will take 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Chopped escarole, spinach, or arugula will take about a 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.