orecchiette, sausage, rapini recipe served on a plate, by Rocco
Sep 17 2026
Restaurants›Rocco›Orecchiette, Sausage, Rapini Recipe

Orecchiette, Sausage, Rapini Recipe

Inspired by Rocco
Time30m
Serves4

Savor our orecchiette pasta tossed with savory sausage and vibrant rapini for a hearty and flavorful dish.

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Ingredients

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General

Method

Preparation

  1. 1

    Prepare the rapini

    Trim the tough ends off the rapini. Rinse thoroughly and set aside.

  2. 2

    Boil water

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. This will be used for both blanching the rapini and cooking the pasta.

Cooking Rapini

  1. 3

    Blanch the rapini

    Once the water is boiling, add the rapini and cook for 2-3 minutes until bright green and slightly tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to an ice bath or run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain well and set aside.

Cooking Sausage

  1. 4

    Cook the sausage

    In a large skillet over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil. Remove the sausage from its casing if necessary, and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Set aside on a plate.

Cooking Pasta

  1. 5

    Cook the orecchiette

    In the same pot of boiling water, add the orecchiette pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.

Combining All

  1. 6

    Combine ingredients

    Return the skillet to medium heat. Add a bit more olive oil if needed, then add cooked sausage and rapini. Sauté together for 2–3 minutes to combine flavors.

  2. 7

    Add the cooked orecchiette to the skillet along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together until well coated and heated through. Add more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.

  3. 8

    Season with salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes for heat. Top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired before serving.

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