Broccoli Rabe Pesto With Whole Wheat Pasta And Turkey Sausage Recipes

TURKEY SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI PASTA

Steps:

• Prepare rigatoni according to directions on box. Remove sausage meat from casing, set aside. In hot skillet saute onions. Add pepper and crumbled sausage meat. Stir and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add florets and cover to steam. Once broccoli is tender add rigatoni to pan. Stir to coat. Serve.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Cut the broccoli rabe into 3 to 4 inch pieces, discarding the stems. In a large pot of rapidly boiling water, blanch the broccoli rabe until tender and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Before you drain broccoli rabe, reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. Drain and rinse the broccoli rabe with cold water until it has cooled off. Spread it out on a towel to finish draining.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions until al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, place 2 tablespoons of water into a cold skillet with garlic and sausage and then turn heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and sausage is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour reserved broccoli water into pan with sausage.
• When the pasta is cooked, drain it and place back in pot you cooked it in and season with salt. Pour sausage sauce over pasta and stir in cooked broccoli rabe. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve immediately.
• If the Queen's coming to dinner: Garnish with fresh bread crumbs and/or freshly grated pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese.

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well-salted ice water. Cook the broccoli rabe in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes and then immediately plunge in the salted ice water. This will prevent the broccoli rabe from being overcooked and will set the lovely green color.
• Drain the broccoli rabe and squeeze out any excess water; coarsely chop. Place the broccoli rabe in the bowl of a food processor and puree until it is a coarse paste. Add the pistachios and parmigiano and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you probably will need more salt. Add the ricotta and pulse until combined. Taste for seasoning once again-it should be full-flavored, slightly bitter and creamy at the same time. Set aside.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. (If you are making the pasta right after the pesto, just use the broccoli rabe blanching water.) Cook the pasta 1 minute less than the cooking time on the package.
• While the pasta is cooking, place the pesto in a large skillet and add about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water; place over medium-high heat. When the pasta is ready, drain and add to the skillet with the pesto. Stir vigorously to combine and cook until the sauce is creamy and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes; add salt to taste. Remove from the heat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, if desired, and stir vigorously. Garnish with more parmigiano. Voila!

BROCCOLI RABE WITH PASTA

Steps:

• Trim and wash the broccoli rabe, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Wash in cold water, and drain.
• In a large kettle, add enough salted water to cook the broccoli rabe. Bring to a boil, and cook until crisply tender. Do not overcook. Remove the broccoli rabe, and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid in the kettle.
• Bring the kettle with the cooking liquid to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook according to the package instructions. Do not overcook. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet, and add the garlic. Cook briefly, do not brown. Add the pepper flakes, the sweet pepper, rosemary and oregano, and cook, stirring briefly. Add the crushed tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the drained pasta, the cooked broccoli rabe and the reserved cooking liquid, the remaining olive oil and the Parmesan cheese. Cook, stirring and tossing, for 1 minute. Check seasoning; serve immediately on hot serving plates.

PASTA WITH BROCCOLI RABE (CIMA DI RAPA)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook tortiglioni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add anchovies and garlic. Saute until slightly brown, 3 to 4 minutes, but do not overcook garlic, as this will make the dish bitter. Add broccoli rabe and stir to coat. Alternately add 1/2 of the bread crumbs and 1/2 of the Pecorino Siciliano cheese, stirring constantly, adding 1/2 tablespoon oil while mixing.
• Drain pasta and fold into the mixture, taking care not to break the pasta. Fold in remaining cheese and bread crumbs gently. Top with remaining oil. Transfer to serving plates and sprinkle with red pepper.

PASTA WITH SPICY SAUSAGE, BROCCOLI RABE AND CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Roughly chop the broccoli rabe, add it to the pot, and cook for 3 minutes. Use a sieve or slotted spoon to lift the broccoli rabe from the water and place it in a colander to drain.
• Bring the water back to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente, reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
• Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or deep, 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (Don't worry if the sausage is not completely cooked through.) Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the wine and cook, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine is reduced by half, about 1 minute.
• Add the broccoli rabe, chickpeas, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sausage is cooked through and the broccoli rabe is very tender, about 3 minutes.
• Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, toss well, and cook over low heat until the sauce comes together, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add additional pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, if needed for moisture.
• Remove the pan from the heat, add the butter, Parmesan, lemon zest and lemon juice, and toss until the butter is melted. Divide pasta among shallow bowls and top with additional cheese sprinkled on top.