Orecchiette with Broccoli di Rape & Sausage

Prep Methods/Techniques ,
Cuisine
Course
Servings 6
Ingredients
  • 2 lb broccoli di rape
  • 1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tsp or more hot red chile pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 cup or more rich chicken stock
  • 1 lb orecchiette (little ears) pasta
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese, plus more for serving
Method
  1. Wash the broccoli di rape and remove any large tough or yellow leaves. Cut off and discard the lower 2 inches the stems.
  2. Remove the sausage from its casing. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over moderate high heat and add the sausage. Sauté, breaking the sausage into smaller and smaller pieces. After a couple of minutes add the crushed garlic and continue sautéing for another few minutes until the sausage is lightly browned.
  3. Transfer the sausage to paper towels and wipe the fat out of the pan. Briefly process the sausage in the bowl of a food processor to crumble it finely and evenly. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and heat over moderately high heat. Return the sausage to the pan. Roughly line up the broccoli de rape and slice into 3-inch lengths and add to the pan. Toss the broccoli with the sausage and oil. Season lightly with salt and sprinkle with the pepper flakes.
  4. Cover the broccoli pan and let steam for several minutes; when the broccoli has wilted, stir in the butter, then the stock and bring to a boil. let cook uncovered for several minutes more to reduce and concentrate the liquid. Taste and correct seasoning. Set aside until the pasta is ready.
  5. Boil the pasta in salted water. It should not be quite as tender as you would like because it will cook a little more with the sauce. Drain.
  6. Reheat the broccoli di rape as soon as the pasta has cooked and drained. Turn the hot pasta into the hot sauce and toss gently to blend. Taste for seasoning and remove from the heat.
  7. Sprinkle on about 1/4 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese and toss to blend. Serve immediately, passing more grated cheese.
Cook's Notes
Ingredient Notes
Broccoli di Rape can usually be found in the grocery store these days. it is sometimes called Rapini or Broccoli Rabe. I have used plain old broccoli but the dish turned out quite differently and not nearly as good.
Homemade chicken stock is good in this recipe, but I cheat a lot and use canned.
The quality of your cheese will make a big difference here. Get the good stuff.
Advance Prep
Prepare the sauce an hour or so ahead of time. Keep it covered and leave at room temperature. Reheat gently when the pasta is almost done.
Variations
We find that we like to prepare this as a side dish, leaving out the pasta. I use about half of the sausage, only a tablespoon or so of olive oil and no butter. It is a totally different dish, but still good.
Source/Adapted From
Julia Child's Cooking With Master Chefs