Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

Broccoli Rabe made the grocery list this week because there was a 'special' going on - $4 for any 2 broccoli bunches. Yes, we are dealing with NYC prices here, so this may not sound that great to some of you. Anyways, hands down I knew I was making it with orecchiette and Italian sausage. Something about this combination goes very well together. Sausage isn't that pricey either, so you can make a big batch of this awesome dish for less than 10 bucks. I picked hot Italian sausage to give the dish a spicy kick.

As for the pasta choice, I love orecchiette. The best I've had was homemade orecchiette pasta in Italy. It is a goal of mine to eventually attempt to make it from scratch as well, but for now the store bought will do just fine.

Ingredients: Serves 4

• 1 Bunch of Broccoli Rabe, stems trimmed off and sliced into chunks
• 2 Spicy Italian Sausages, sliced into chunks
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup White Onion, diced
• 6-8 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Grated Pecorino Romano
• 1/2 tbs Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (or to taste)
• Salt to taste
• Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Cook the broccoli rabe in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. Strain and run under old water.

Cut the sausage into pieces. If the casing comes off, just discard it.

In a deep skillet, heat about 3 tbs of the olive oil and saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add in the chopped sausage and toss together. Once the sausage is almost cooked, add in the broccoli rabe, some salt, and toss again. Lower the heat and cook with lid on.

In the mean time, cook the orecchiette in boiling salted water. Once it is done, strain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the broccoli rabe and sausage. Combine with the grated pecorino, black pepper and additional drizzles of olive oil. Toss until the cheese is melted and blended in.

Serve immediately and enjoy!