Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
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Packed with flavor and easy to make, this orecchiette pasta dish is a longtime favorite—the whole family gobbles it up, broccoli and all!
Sometimes it seems impossible to make a meal that pleases the whole family. What one child happily eats, the other one suddenly isn’t “in the mood for.” But every once in a while, I come across a recipe that everyone loves, like this orecchiette pasta dish adapted from Lidia’s Italian Table by Lidia Bastianich. Not only is it quick and easy to make—25 minutes tops—but the whole family devours it, broccoli and all.
“My whole family loves this (even my 5 year old who doesn’t typically like pasta). It’s so nice to have an easy go-to meal for the middle of the week that my small children get excited about and so does my husband. Thank you!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Orecchiette With Sausage & Broccoli
Orecchiette is named for its shape, which resembles a small ear (the Italian word orecchiette means small ear). If you can’t find it, it’s fine to substitute another pasta, like farfalle or fusilli.
Italian sausage is a great ingredient to have on hand for weeknight dinners. Not only is it quick and easy to cook, but it’s also flavored with a variety of aromatics, herbs and spices, such as garlic and fennel, which add depth and complexity to pasta dishes without the need for a lot of additional seasoning. This makes it an easy and convenient way to add flavor to pasta dishes, such as baked ziti and lasagna. Buy bulk sausage, or sausage meat without the casing, if possible (it’s often easy to find around holiday season as it’s used in stuffing recipes). Otherwise, just squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing.
Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty, and pungent Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. It’s readily available in grated form in the cheese section of most large supermarkets but if you can’t find it, it’s fine to substitute Parmigiano Reggiano.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet and add the sausage.
Cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until the sausage starts to brown, 5 to 6 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, broccoli, chicken broth, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the butter until melted and simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
Add the sausage and broccoli mixture to the drained pasta and toss well, along with half of the grated cheese.
Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or individual bowls and top with the remaining grated cheese.
Video Tutorial
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Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
Packed with flavor and easy to make, this orecchiette pasta dish is a longtime favorite—the whole family gobbles it up, broccoli and all!
Ingredients
- 1 pound orecchiette
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 pound broccoli florets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup freshly grated pecorino Romano
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook according to package instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium high heat. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until lightly browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic; cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of olive oil, chicken broth, broccoli, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan to release the flavorful brown bits, until the broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted and simmer for a few minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce.
- Drain the pasta well and place back in the pasta pot. Add the sausage and broccoli mixture, along with half of the cheese, and toss to blend. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving platter or individual bowls and pass the remaining grated cheese at the table.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: This dish can be frozen for up to 3 months and reheated on the stovetop. If the dish has dried out a bit in the freezer, add a little water or broth while reheating. Just take care only to reheat it and not continue to cook it.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 624
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 64 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Sodium: 692 mg
- Cholesterol: 51 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This was a simple meal that got rave reviews and made a tasty leftover lunch the next day. I substituted peas for broccoli as that was what I had on hand. A great dish for picky kids!
This is definitely a family favourite and we always have orchiette in the pantry now. Another five star recipe you’ve shared with us!
I can’t always find orrechiette, and I substitute with fusili. The result, of course, is just as amazing and it is still visually pleasing. I will definitely make this again!
Easy, Quick Delicious!
Can you make this in advance and reheat? If so, how would you do that?
Hi Jamie, Yes, you can make this a day or two ahead and reheat. I think the stovetop would be best (and you can add a little liquid like olive oil, water, or broth in case the dish has dried out a bit. Just make sure just to reheat it and not continue to cook it. Hope that helps!
Delicious, easy pasta dish that doesn’t leave you feeling heavy after having a hearty serving 🙂 I love the chicken broth based sauce, and the broccoli is like the cherry on top!
I just made this recipe last night!! The orecchiette with sausage and broccoli has made it into our favorite dinner rotation. The combination of ingredients is awesome! I especially love the fresh broccoli! Cutting and rinsing the broccoli ahead of time really helps me to keep the recipe flowing. The Pecorino Romano is definitely worth buying. It takes the dish up to the next level.
Broccoli, sausage and pasta—love this combination, and your recipe does it justice! I especially like that there is no heavy cream or half and half as many similar recipes tend to include. The flavor is awesome. While I appreciate the freezing advice, I don’t ever see there being enough leftovers to freeze. 🙂 Thanks for another great recipe.
This recipe is delicious, easy and a perfect way to add one of those all important Cruciferous vegetables to my routine. It is perfect as left overs, I add a little more chicken stock when reheating.
I love this recipe! It has become a “family favorite” and now I try and have the ingredients on hand whenever I need a quick and tasty dinner. I once made it when my grand-daughter stayed over for a few days. She devoured it and then asked for another helping. “Do you think you could give my mom the recipe?” So, this recipe has been kid tested and whole-heartedly approved!
Delicious! I didnt have any fresh broccoli on hand so used frozen (i microwaved it for 2 min). Also used GF pasta. This is my favorite thing to order in restaurants but was never able to get it to replicate at home until now! So glad i found this website.
This has become a family favorite and is now part of a regular rotation. I add just a little more broccoli otherwise I prepare as written. My kids even enjoy the leftovers cold the next day.