orecchiette, sausage, rapini Recipe

Prepare the rapini

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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