Description

Orecchiette Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli is one of my favorite weeknight pasta dishes, a real crowd-pleaser, and my husband even goes back for seconds. This is the only way I can get Madison to eat broccoli, I cook the pasta and broccoli at the same time all in the same pot, which creates a pesto-like broccoli sauce the kids can’t pick out (trust me, it’s so good!).

Yield: 7servings | Serving Size: 11/3 cups

Ingredients

14ozpackage Italian chicken sausage, casing removed

12ozuncooked Orecchiette pasta, or gluten-free pasta

6 1/2cupsfresh broccoli florets, no stems (16 oz)

5clovesgarlic, smashed and chopped

1/4cupgrated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

2tbspolive oil, divided

kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

• Meanwhile heat a large nonstick skillet and brown the sausage over medium-high, breaking it up as it cooks with a wooden spoon until browned, 5 to 7 minutes; remove from heat.

• When the water boils, add the pasta and bring back to a boil, when the water is boiling, add broccoli and cook according to pasta instructions for al dente.

When pasta is almost done cooking, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and broccoli.

Return the pot to the stove and set heat to high; add 1 tbsp olive oil, when hot, add garlic. Cook until golden, about 1 minute, reduce flame to low and add pasta back to the pot with the sausage.

• Mix well, add remaining olive oil, grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste mixing well and smashing any large pieces of broccoli to break up.

Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and mix well adding more if needed.

• Serve in pasta bowls with additional grated cheese on the side, if desired.

Last Step:

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