Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe, Sausage, & Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
This is a tasty variation on Orecchiette con Cima di Rape, a traditional Italian favorite fro Puglia. Orecchiette, meaning “little ears” in Italian, partners well with pleasantly bitter greens in the traditional recipe in which dried chili flakes are added. This recipe also includes sausage and sun-dried tomato pesto, creating an even heartier dish with very bold flavors.
Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele 2011
Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe, Sausage, & Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Yield:
Serves 6
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
40 minutes
A vibrant flavored hearty dish from Puglia.
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Orecchiette Pasta
- 1 Pound Spicy Italian Sausages, From Casings
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Bunch Broccoli Rabe, Cleaned And Cut Into 1 Inch Pieces
- Salt & Pepper
- Dash Of Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
- 1/3 Cup Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
Choice Of Cheese To Serve:
- Freshly Grated Parmesan, Romano, or Salted Ricotta Are Good Choices
Pesto Ingredients:
- 2 Ounces Sun-dried Tomatoes Packed In Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- To make the pesto, add all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet, add the sausage meat and cook thoroughly.
- Cook the orecchiette in salted boiling water, adding the broccoli rabe to the pasta pot during the last 3 minutes of cooking.
- Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain the pasta and broccoli rabe, retaining a small cup of the pasta water.
- Add the drained pasta and broccoli rabe combination to the skillet with the pesto.
- Mix well over high heat for a minute or two until piping hot.
- If the mixture seems at all dry, add a little of the pasta water to moisten.
- Serve offering your choice of cheese.
Those little orecchiette ear like pasta shapes always win me over and I love how any sauce just pools in their hollows.
This dish sounds very doable and I often tend to have some Italian sausages in the freezer and this is a great tasty way to use them. I will try this as a mid week meal. Do you know how long it took you to make this dish?
Anna, the prep time and cooking time are at the top of the recipe.
I make this dish often,, but have never added the sun-dried tomato pesto,,, I will add it next time for sure… thanx….
I’ve been eating orecchiette with “cime di rapa” veg and anchovies whole my life but I have never seen this variation of the recipe. It looks gorgeous, I’ll definitely make it. Thanks for the tips.
Last night I prepared this dish but used asparagus instead of broccoli rabe and bowtie pasta instead of Orecchiette. It was DELICIOUS! Deborah, you have the BEST Italian recipes here! This is my “go to” site when I want to try something new. I know I can always rely on your recipes! Thanks so much!
Thanks Elisa!
This has to be one of my favorite dishes….. I’m making homemade Orrecchiete pasta, and am still working on finding my favorite pasta recipe.