Thursday, January 08, 2004

Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

The Food Channel is one of my favorite network and has been a default channel on our television. At first, watching Giada De Laurentiis scared me because her head seems to be way bigger than her body. But soon, she won me over by her easy style, effortless recipes and how she seems to enjoy biting into whatever delicious creation she just made.

I wanted to try the Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe as soon as I watched Giada make it because it seemed like a fast recipe with simple ingredients and besides, I've never cooked broccoli rabe before. It turned out to be delicious and we had enough leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day.

2 bunches broccoli rabe, stems trimmed
1 pound orecchiette pasta I didn't have any on hand so I used farfalla instead
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound turkey Italian-style sausage, casings removed there was only chicken sausage at the store
3 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch dried crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan


Cook the broccoli rabe in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp tender, about 1 minute. Transfer the broccoli rabe to a large bowl of ice water to cool, saving the cooking water. Bring the reserved cooking water back to a boil.
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned and juices form, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, when the reserved cooking water is boiling, add the orecchiette and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
Strain the broccoli rabe and add it to the pan with the sausage mixture and toss to coat with the juices. Add the pasta to the skillet. Stir in the Parmesan and serve immediately.

Posted by Maria @ 6:13 PM