Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Orecchiette pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe

First off, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to those of you that are viewing my blog and making some of my recipes.  I can’t tell you how happy it makes me when a close friend, stranger or mom at school comes up to me and tells me that they are making one of the recipes from my blog that night. I love hearing their comments on how much their family enjoyed the recipe or how easy it was to make.

The biggest request I keep getting from people is to keep posting more yummy & easy weeknight dinners.  Dinner is the one meal that people struggle with. I get it, we’re all busy running around all day and to have that nagging “what to make for dinner” question hanging over our heads is not fun!

Well, I’ve got you covered for dinner tonight. I have whipped up an easy, family approved one-bowl pasta dish.  This pasta is one of those pantry pastas that I cook quite often because I usually have all of the ingredients on hand expect for the fresh broccoli rabe.

Below are the 6 ingredients you will need in addition to some fresh olive oil.

Ingredients for pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe

Orecchiette pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

  • 1 to 2 bunches broccoli rabe, stems trimmed – You can also use baby broccoli or broccolini
  • 1 pound orecchiette pasta
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 italian sausage links, casings removed or 3/4 pound of ground sausage – I used classic Italian style sausages
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • pinch of crushed red pepper flakes – I used a bit more than a pinch of red pepper and it was spicy in a good way, but not too spicy for the kids
  • freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Let’s prep the ingredients.  Wash and trim up the broccoli rabe, remove the sausage from it’s casings and mince up your garlic cloves.

Broccoli, garlic and sausage

Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the broccoli rabe during the last minute of cooking time.  I loved this step because it was all done in one pot at the same time!  How efficient!  Drain both the pasta and broccoli rabe together.

Cooking broccoli rabe

Meanwhile, while the pasta is cooking, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and then add the sausage.

Sausage in skillet

Cook the sausage breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned and juices form.

Browning sausage in skillet

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add garlic to browned sausage

Add the drained pasta and broccoli rabe to the pan with the sausage mixture and toss to coat with the juices.

Pasta, broccoli and sausage in skillet

Serve up the pasta into individual bowls.  Make sure to scrape all those goodies off the bottom of the pan.  Top each bowl with a nice heaping of fresh Parmesan and some fresh ground pepper for the adults!

My kids and hubby loved this dish. They all rated it a 10!  I hope that your family enjoys this easy weeknight pantry pasta!

With love Jackie

Nourish your inbox!

More to explore
Most popular posts
Nourish your inbox
Jump to recipes
This miso tahini dressing is the perfect creamy dressing for warm quinoa or grain bowl, roasted vegetables, really any Plain Jane staple that you want to add a pop of flavor and nutrition to. 

Comment ‘miso” and I’ll send you the recipe.

It takes 5 minutes to whip up and uses 6 simple ingredients. It’s also dairy-free & vegan. The dressing gives a digestive boost from the lemon juice and some healthy fats to balance it all. 

#tahini #miso #misotahinidressing #buddahbowl #healthyfood
This dairy-free weeknight Bolognese is hands down my GO-TO bolognese! It’s the perfect and tastiest bolognese for those busy weeknights, as it takes under 45 minutes start to finish, but the sauce tastes like a sauce that’s been cooking on your stove top all day, not for just 30 minutes. It’s a fan and family favorite!

Comment ‘pasta’ and I’ll send you the recipe.

This is a great pasta to serve up if you’re entertaining friends because it feeds a crowd, especially if you pair the pasta with some crunchy garlic bread and big salad. 

The original recipe called for heavy cream and parmesan, but since I’m dairy-free, I’ve been making this sauce without the heavy cream and parmesan, and the kids haven’t even noticed the difference, and honestly, I think it tastes way better. I hope you love it!

#pasta #pastas #weeknightpasta #bolognes #dairyfreerecipes #dairyfreelife #dairyfreeglutenfree #weeknightdinner #weeknightmeals
These gluten free baked chicken tenders are one of my family’s favorite weeknight chicken recipes, and they get made weekly in my house. There’s no bad oils, gluten or frying involved.

Comment ‘chicken tenders’ and I’ll DM you the recipe.

The coating on this chicken is gluten-free, grain-free and chock-full of healthy ingredients, but you would never know that. The chicken is dredged in almond meal and nutritional yeast, and has a pop of kick of flavor from the cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. They also taste great cold, and I often eat a chicken tender post workout for some protein! 

#chickentenders #healthychicken #weeknightdinner #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipes #glutenfreefood #chickennuggets #chickenrecipes #chickendinner
This is by far our favorite kale salad and has turned kale haters into kale lovers. 

Comment ‘kale’ and I’ll DM you the recipe! 

This is also the salad that got my kids to eat and love kale. 

Massaging the lemon dressing into the kale is key! I hope this salad turns you into a kale 🥬 lover! #kale #kalesalad #kalesalads #salad
Let’s make soaked chia seeds! Soaked chia seeds are a great item to have handy to add to your morning oatmeal, buckwheat porridge, or smoothies! 

Recipe below 👇 

Why soak them? 

Soaking chia seeds helps unlock their protein content, releases their nutrients, and improves digestibility making them more accessible for absorption into the body. It also keeps you fuller longer. 

Facts about chia seeds.

They’re an excellent source of anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids.
They’re high in fiber and contain more protein than most plant foods.
They also contain more calcium than milk. Say what!?

Recipe:
1 cup water, or almond milk,
hemp milk, or coconut milk 
1/4 cup chia seeds

Directions:

In a jar with a lid, add the milk & chia seeds.
Using a whisk give mixture a good stir to incorporate everything. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, give it another stir with a whisk to make sure everything is mixed together, and there are no chia clumps.
Cover and store in the fridge for a week. 
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to your warm bowl of porridge, oatmeal or to smoothies. Enjoy! 🤗

4 thoughts on “Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe”

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top