A satisfying, quick and economical dish. A spicy Italian sausage pasta recipe with broccoli, lemon and whole grain penne.
Happy New Year everyone! My sincerest best wishes and blessings to you and all your loved ones. Wow, is there enough snow for everyone in BC? This recipe is perfect to keep you warm on these cold winter days that so many of us have been experiencing. I always feel the best way to share love is with food, and I hope you get that chance with this dish.
Sausage and broccoli pasta is fast to prepare, satisfying, and versatile. I discuss below how my recipe can be transformed into a vegetarian version or a pastaless entrée. Further down you will find the full recipe. and you can also watch this short video I made on YouTube. Hope it helps.
The cold winter months are a classic time for making and eating, sausage in Italy. Sausage is a transmitter of taste, and adding a little bit to pasta helped give flavor and richness to plates of noodles that were a staple for large families in the past. Combining sausage with broccoli, rapini, potatoes, or peppers is a traditional pairing. My twist on the dish is adding lemon juice and zest. Lemon helps the flavors pop and cut through the richness.
Omit the sausage and its vegetarian pasta. Omit the pasta and you have a great Italian stir fry. I use whole-grain pasta with this dish because I like the nutty flavor, but it pairs equally well with regular pasta. A mild sausage is also an option for those who are not spice fans or for feeding the little ones. Add a nice salad tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, and have some fresh fruit for dessert when you make Pasta con Salsiccia e Broccoli, the Italian name. The salad and fruit additions will give you a lovely, healthy, three-course meal. It’s also a very economical meal in these crazy inflationary times.
I encourage you to try the recipe and let me know what you think by sharing your suggestions or compliments. Please, also share it on social or by word of mouth. You can find many of the components of my dish at Vancouver Farmers Markets.
If you have any food questions, are looking for shopping suggestions, or want to catch up, please do reach out. Thanks again for your lovely notes and messages. Until next time, be well and always #EatwiththoseyouLove ®
Peter
Classes Note
Most of my upcoming adult Winter cooking classes have sold out, and another four are almost there. The only availability I have until March, is two spots next Sunday, January 28th for my Risotto and Arancini demo class. So, sign up for Porchetta, Fettucine, Puglia Pasta – Short Shapes, Ravioli, or Roman Sauces, and our Kids Day Camps here, before it is too late.
As with any recipe always use safe cooking procedures, & food safe practices. Health Canada is a great site for all food safe guidelines. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/topics/food-safety.html
Sausage Pasta Recipe
Serves 4
Equipment:
A sharp Chef’s knife
A heavy-bottomed frying pan, or skillet
A pair of tongs
A large fork
Teaspoons and Tablespoons
A bowl
A pie plate or deep dish
A dinner plate lined with paper towel
A Pyrex measuring cup, or a heatproof bowl
Large pot for boiling pasta
1 large frying or saute pan
1 colander or strainer
Ingredients:
2 Spicy Italian pork sausages taken out of their casing and broken up. You can cut the sausage into medallions leaving the casing on for more chew. Other options are turkey, chicken, or lamb sausages for this recipe.
1 large head of broccoli. Rapini, or broccolini also work for this dish as well.
3 to 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
1 lemon – you will need the juice and the zest – I zest the lemon over a small bowl first and then juice it
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil – you can use olive oil
3 to 4 large cloves of garlic minced
Salt, Pepper, and Chilli flakes to taste
450 grams of whole-grain pasta
5 L water for boiling
Spicy Sausage Pasta Recipe Instructions:
Fill and boil the water in your large pasta pot. Salt the water so it tastes like the Mediterranean Sea.
Break down your broccoli head into bite-size pieces. Peel the the tough exterior skin off the stems and slice the core into bite-size pieces.
Remove the sausage casing and place the ground meat in a bowl. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Discard the casings.
If you prefer more chew cut the sausage into medallion pieces.
Heat your frying pan on medium-high for 2-3 minutes, or until hot. Add your sausage meat and allow it to caramelize before stirring.
Add your broccoli to the salted boiling water. Blanche for approximately three minutes.
I do not add salt or pepper until the very end of this dish. The sausage is usually heavily seasoned, and the pasta and broccoli are being cooked in salted pasta water. Adding too much salt will ruin the dish. Wait to season until the end.
Cook until all the sausage has browned and has begun to crackle. If using chicken/turkey sausage add a tablespoon of vegetable oil since there may not be enough fat for the sauce.
Remove the sausage meat and place it on a paper towel-lined dish. There should be two to three tablespoons of fat left in the pan. If there is extra drain off to your Pyrex cup and reserve it. If there is less fat add a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
This style oil/fat-based sauce is very traditional in Italy. Do not drown the dish in oil. The sauce should coat your pasta and broccoli well. The total amount of oil/fat should only be approximately four tablespoons, which for four servings is very reasonable.
Toss in the garlic and let it sizzle for a few minutes, or until just going golden. Now, add your chili and your blanched broccoli.
Add your pasta to the water you cooked the broccoli in. This will stack flavour.
Cook your broccoli until it begins to soften, but not fall apart. Remove from heat.
Return your saucepan to medium heat two minutes before your pasta is ready. Let it come back to temperature.
Cook your pasta until just before it is al dente. Add one third of a ladle of pasta water to your sauce if draining the pasta in a colander. If straining it directly out of the pot you want a little bit of the water that clings to your pasta to go into the saucepan.
Stir, or toss, your pasta and sauce until thoroughly mixed. Your pasta should now be to al dente. Turn off the stove.
Serving
Add the zest and juice of ½ a lemon and mix it into your pasta. Taste your pasta for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, and chili to your taste. If adding Pecorino cheese remember it is saltier than Parmesan, so be careful.
If the pasta is dry add one more tablespoon of fat or olive oil, and mix it in.
Plate the pasta from your pan and finish with a shower of cheese.
As I said earlier, I like serving sausage and broccoli pasta with a lemon-dressed salad and fresh citrus or pears for dessert is a wonderful and healthy three-course meal. It’s also very economical in these times of inflation……
Now go and try this Sausage Pasta recipe, and always remember to #EatwiththoseyouLove ®
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