Pasta With Sausage Broccoli Rabe And White Beans Nerds With Knives Recipes

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.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE, BROCCOLI RABE AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil.
• Cut off and discard the lower part of the broccoli rabe stems, leaving the broccoli about 8 inches long. Remove any large tough leaves. If the stems are very thick, you can peel the lower part with a vegetable peeler. Removing the peel takes out some of the bitterness. Cut the stems into roughly 2-inch lengths. Wash the broccoli and set it aside to dry in a salad spinner or colander.
• Remove the casings from the sausage and crumble it. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat and cook until the sausage is no longer pink, about 7 - 10 minutes. When the sausage is brown and just cooked through, remove it with a slotted spoon onto a plate and set aside.
• If there's fat in the pan, pour it out and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic, pepper flakes and beans and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir well and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to the package directions.
• In the skillet with the garlic, add the broccoli rabe and toss it until it begins to wilt. Cover the pan and steam the broccoli until wilted and bright green, about 4 minutes. Taste and season lightly with salt and pepper. (if the broccoli is getting too dry and starting to brown, add a few tablespoons of the pasta water).
• When the pasta is ready, drain it, but reserve about a cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the broccoli mixture and add back the sausage and about a 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Stir and toss well over low heat to combine, adjusting the consistency by adding some of the cooking water, a little at a time, as needed.
• Divide the pasta among bowls, top each portion with a sprinkle of cheese and a little drizzle of your best olive oil.

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.

PASTA WITH BROCCOLI RABE AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Add salt and broccoli rabe to the boiling water. Cook until just tender. Drain, and transfer to ice bath. When cool, drain, and set aside.
• Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook until just golden. Add sausage; saute, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until cooked through. Add broccoli rabe and stock. Cook until heated through.
• Into the same large pot, add pasta; cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
• Add pasta to skillet; toss to combine. Season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with cheese; toss to combine. Serve immediately.