This is a wonderful combination of flavors and textures. It changes up your typical red-sauced pasta dish replacing it with a lighter, natural sauce and adding green vegetable to your meal. It can be made with rigatoni noodles as I am here, or with ziti or penne pasta, or any tubular pasta you have on hand.
The one question I always get when sharing this recipe is about the green vegetable. I prefer to make it with broccolini or baby broccoli. You could swap it for broccoli rabe or rapini, or even just fresh baby spinach, the latter of which is particularly good. Below I will review the differences for you.
Broccolini is not the same as baby broccoli, though it may look similar. It’s actually a cross between regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli with long stems, larger florets, and less leaves. It has a sweeter taste that’s more similar to regular broccoli, which is why I prefer it in this dish. If they have baby broccoli feel free to use it.
Broccoli rabe is in the same family as turnips, which is why the leaves look so similar to turnip or mustard greens. It has long stems, smaller florets than broccolini, and larger leaves (all of which are edible). The flavor is bitter but becomes more mild as it's cooked.
Rapini and broccoli rabe are not the same vegetable but are very closely related. I find it even more bitter than broccoli rabe. As such, you rarely see it served in restaurants in the United States. To cook this vegetable you must first blanch it in plenty of salty water to tame its bitterness and coax out its sweet side. This is not necessary with the above two choices.
Unfortunately in most U.S. grocery stores, the names are used interchangeably so ignore the signage and pick the correct vegetable based on the images provided here.
Use more or less of most of the main ingredients. You can have more/less sausage, greens or even cheese if you prefer. The recipe will come out great with any combination.
Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1 tablespoon for the pasta water
1 pound rigatoni, ziti or penne pasta
1/2- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, bulk
1/2 cup white wine (chardonnay preferred)
1 pound broccolini, cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated cheese, plus more for serving
Parmesan, Romano, or Grana Padano
Instructions
Cut the brocolini, broccoli rabe, or rapini into bite-sized pieces. If using rapini, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Submerge the rapini for 2-3 minutes until just becoming tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. If using broccolini or brocoli rabe, there is not need to par boil it. If you are uncertain if it is broccoli rabe or rapini, par boil.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet or wok with a lid. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, per package directions usually 10-13 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, add the sausage to the skillet with the oil and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and stir, cooking until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the wine and cook 2-3 minutes, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the broccolini, pepper flakes and 1 cup boiling pasta water. Stir to combine. Cover and steam 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the broccolini is just fork tender.
Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce/broccolini, and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle half of the cheese on the pasta, toss again, then distribute the remaining cheese over the pasta and toss again. Serve immediately and sprinkle with a bit of additional cheese on each serving.
Broccolini is not the same as baby broccoli, though it may look similar. It’s actually a cross between regular broccoli and Chinese broccoli with long stems, larger florets, and less leaves. It has a sweeter taste that’s more similar to regular broccoli, which is why I prefer it in this dish. If they have baby broccoli feel free to use it.
Unfortunately in most U.S. grocery stores, the names are used interchangeably so ignore the signage and pick the correct vegetable based on the images provided here.
Use more or less of most of the main ingredients. You can have more/less sausage, greens or even cheese if you prefer. The recipe will come out great with any combination.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1 tablespoon for the pasta water
1 pound rigatoni, ziti or penne pasta
1/2- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, bulk
1/2 cup white wine (chardonnay preferred)
1 pound broccolini, cleaned and cut into bite size pieces
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated cheese, plus more for serving
Parmesan, Romano, or Grana Padano
Instructions
Cut the brocolini, broccoli rabe, or rapini into bite-sized pieces. If using rapini, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Submerge the rapini for 2-3 minutes until just becoming tender. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. If using broccolini or brocoli rabe, there is not need to par boil it. If you are uncertain if it is broccoli rabe or rapini, par boil.
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet or wok with a lid. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, per package directions usually 10-13 minutes.
While the pasta is cooking, add the sausage to the skillet with the oil and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and stir, cooking until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the wine and cook 2-3 minutes, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the broccolini, pepper flakes and 1 cup boiling pasta water. Stir to combine. Cover and steam 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the broccolini is just fork tender.
Drain the pasta, add it to the sauce/broccolini, and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle half of the cheese on the pasta, toss again, then distribute the remaining cheese over the pasta and toss again. Serve immediately and sprinkle with a bit of additional cheese on each serving.
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