Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

This was a recipe I got from a cooking class I attended recently with a former business colleague. I always enjoy these classes because you get a copy of the recipe, you sometimes participate in the cooking of the dishes, you get to sample every one of the 4-5 recipes they make at every class AND they serve wine with the sampling........which makes everything taste better!

This dish came out spectacular. I cooked the broccoli rabe a little longer than they did in class so that it would be less chewy and it came out perfect. You can also substitute spinach for the broccoli rabe if you wish and the taste would still be perfection! Any other ideas on how to fine tune this even more to make it still more interesting?

Makes 4 servings

3/4 pound dried orecchiette or other small shell-shaped pasta
1 pound sweet italian sausage (removed from casings)
1 bunch (about 3/4 pound) broccoli rabe (also known as ropini), tough stems discarded, washed well
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Accompaniment:  freshly grated parmesan cheese


In a large kettle of boiling salted water, blanche broccoli rabe, remove with a large slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. Drain well. Cut up into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.

In the same pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette until very al dente!

While pasta is cooking, heat a large heavy skillet and add the olive oil. Add the sausage and saute over moderately high heat, stirring to break up chunks, until no longer pink.

Add the broccoli rabe and saute in pan with the sausage, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown. Add garlic and saute, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add broth and raisins and simmer until broccoli rabe is just tender, about 3 minutes - a little longer if you want it softer. Add butter, stirring until incorporated. Add pine nuts.

Drain pasta and return to kettle. Add broccoli rabe / sausage mixture and heat through, stirring to incorporate all the flavors.

Serve pasta with parmesan and an additional drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Voila!