Pork Sausage Recipe

Bring pasta water

Fill a large pot with 4–5 quarts of water and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or roughly 1 tsp fine salt) once boiling.

Cook fresh pasta

Add 12 oz fresh egg pasta to the boiling water and cook 2–4 minutes until al dente (fresh pasta cooks quickly). Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta and set aside, tossing with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Brown sausage

While the water heats, heat 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 oz pork sausage (casings removed) and break up with a spoon. Cook 6–8 minutes until browned and cooked through with small browned bits. Season with 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Transfer browned sausage to a bowl and leave skillet drippings in pan.

Sauté aromatics

Reduce skillet heat to medium, add 2 tbsp unsalted butter. When melted, add 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 1 minced shallot. Sauté 1–2 minutes until fragrant and translucent but not browned.

Cook broccoli

Add 12 oz bite-size broccoli florets to the skillet with aromatics. Sauté 3–4 minutes, stirring, until bright green and beginning to become tender. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest, stir to combine.

Combine sausage

Return the cooked sausage to the skillet with the broccoli and aromatics; toss to combine and cook 1–2 minutes to meld flavors.

Make roux

Push the sausage and broccoli to one side of the skillet (or use a separate medium saucepan). Add 1 tbsp unsalted butter and 1 tbsp all-purpose flour to the cleared area and cook, stirring, 1 minute to form a blond roux.

Add liquids

Slowly whisk in 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup stock into the roux. Stir constantly and bring to a gentle simmer; the sauce will thicken in 2–3 minutes.

Finish sauce with cheese

Reduce heat to low and stir in 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir until the cheese melts into a smooth sauce. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water (up to the saved 1/2 cup) a few tablespoons at a time to reach a silky consistency.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained fresh pasta to the skillet with the sausage-broccoli cream sauce. Toss gently over low heat 1–2 minutes to coat the pasta, allowing flavors to marry. If needed, add more reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce so it clings to the pasta.

Adjust seasoning and finish

Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil and stir in 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley.

Plate and garnish

Divide into 4 servings. Serve immediately with an extra 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano sprinkled on top.