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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Delicious and easy! I used fresh green peas instead of broccoli but either is great. Satisfying and so tasty!
Loved this recipe!! I’m not really a fan of cheese but I really enjoyed this cheese. This was my first time trying it, so I was a bit hesitant at first but adding it to the meal turned out great. It’s a light cheese that I can handle.
I used a spicy chicken sausage and steak instead of the Italian sausage.
Thank you for sharing!
No other comments other than to say that I absolutely luv this recipe. 😀
Just a general note for all your wonderful recipes, it would be great if you would include quantities for making a double recipe, it would take the guesswork out of it for me. (i.e. don’t double the salt? Etc. ) I always make double recipes because I’ve got 3 hungry teenagers to feed 🧑🧑🏻🧑🏼
For those who need a little more flavor: grill (or oven bake)the sausage in casings and slice thin before adding.(the grilled medallions are more flavorful). Also add 1/2 cup of dry white wine when you add the chicken broth (I use Better than Boullion but don’t add any more salt as the boullion has plenty!) and bring to a boil for two minutes to cook off the alcohol). You can also add slivers of sundried tomatoes, use broccoli Rabe instead of regular broccoli, and 2 tsp of Italian seasoning (an Italian herb mix). Any or all of the above make it tasty and multi dimensional! (I do all if the above) Super yummy and very authentically Italian that way!
My kids call this the 5 star meal! It never disappoints and it’s easy to make.
The dish was delicious and very easy to make. I’ve made it twice, does not disappoint. It does make a hefty portion and leftovers can be frozen for another meal.
Absolutely delicious ! I made for dinner last night and we both talked about how tasty it was. In fact husband is taking left over for his lunch
Made this for dinner as I’m trying to purge the fridge. Fresh steamed broccoli, Trader Joe’s Red Lentil pasta (we’re gf), and Gilbert’s Caprese Chicken sausage. Hubs said it was really good – unusual for him =) thanks, Jenn for another great recipe!
This one was…OK. I appreciate simple pasta recipes, but this one didn’t really sing to me. Kids felt the same. We all ate it, and the leftovers will be eaten, but when I asked if I should make it again, the answer was no. It’s not bad, by any means, it’s just not wow.
I once made this recipe with a brand of sausage I don’t normally use, oh boy was it bland and lackluster. I have found a long as I’ve got flavorful Italian sauce it’s so much better! Just a thought ☺️
Such a great addition to the menu! So simple yet so terrific! Another massive hit from Jenn! Packs plenty of flavor and entire family really enjoyed it.