Adapted from Food Matters
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
- 1 lb. broccoli rabe
- 1 pt. cherry tomatoes
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- ½ lb. sweet or spicy Italian sausage
- ½ lb. dried orecchiette, penne, ziti or other cut pasta, preferably whole wheat
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)
Shopping List
- Black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Fennel seeds
- Garlic
- Red pepper flakes
- Sea salt
Pantry Items
- Chef’s knife
- Heavy skillet
- Large stockpot or pasta pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Paring knife
- Slotted spoon
- Spatula
- Strainer
- Wooden spoons
Tools
- Wine: Chianti
- Dessert: Fresh melon
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Fill the pasta pot 2/3 with water, add 2 tbsps. salt and put over high heat
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open the wine
- Prep
- Rinse and pat dry the broccoli rabe. Trim and cut it into 1-inch pieces.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Put them in a serving bowl.
- Rinse and pat dry the basil. Pluck ½ cup leaves.
- Peel and coarsely chop 2 garlic cloves (or enough to make 1 tbsp. chopped garlic).
- If you’re using link sausages, remove the casings.
- Put the grated Parmigiano into a serving bowl.
- Set a strainer in the sink.
- Start Cooking
- When the water in the pasta pot boils, add the broccoli rabe and cook until it is crisp-tender, 3 – 4 minutes.
- Scoop out the broccoli rabe with a slotted spoon and put it in the strainer. Reserve.
- Pour 1/4 cup oil into the skillet over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally to brown the meat, for about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. fennel seeds and a sprinkling of salt and black pepper, stir, and cook for about 1 minute.
- When the water is boiling again, add the pasta, stir, and cook until it is al dente, about 7 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, finish the sauce. Add the broccoli rabe and 1/2 cup water to the sausage mixture, stir and mash the broccoli rabe and cook until it is tender, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low under the sauce.
- Finish up the cherry tomatoes. Drizzle them with 1 tbsp. oil. Toss. Season with salt and pepper.
- Coarsely chop the basil leaves.
- Add the basil leaves to the tomatoes, toss, toss, toss.
- It’s time to quickly set the table.
- Check the pasta. When it is al dente, drain it, saving some of the cooking water.
- Tip the pasta into a large bowl, add the sauce and toss gently, until everything is combined.. If it’s dry, add pasta cooking water 1 tbsp. at a time, until it is the consistency you like.
- Taste the pasta and adjust the seasonings.
- Yum – dinner is ready! Take the pasta to the table with the Parmigiano and the wine.
