Classic Orecchiette con Salsiccia e Cime di Rapa
A traditional Southern Italian pasta dish featuring orecchiette, Italian sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic, chili flakes, and Pecorino Romano. Simple ingredients cooked with proper technique create a rich, balanced pasta where bitter greens and savory sausage meet in a silky sauce.
Equipment
- Large pasta pot
- Large sauté pan or Dutch oven
- Colander
- Tongs
- Measuring cups
- Microplane or cheese grater
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt for pasta water
Main Components
- 1½ pounds Italian sausage sweet or hot, casings removed
- 2 bunches broccoli rabe rapini, trimmed and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Finish
- Extra Pecorino Romano
- Extra virgin olive oil for finishing
- Red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Cook 1 pound orecchiette pasta according to package directions until al dente, approximately 10–12 minutes.
- During the final 2–3 minutes of cooking, add 2 bunches chopped broccoli rabe to the pasta water.
- Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and broccoli rabe together.
- Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add 1½ pounds Italian sausage and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces until browned and cooked through.
- Add 4 sliced garlic cloves and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly until fragrant.
- Add the drained orecchiette and broccoli rabe directly to the sausage mixture.
- Add ½ cup reserved pasta water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper, tossing continuously over medium heat.
- Add ¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese and continue tossing until the cheese melts and forms a light sauce around the pasta.
- Add additional pasta water as needed, 1–2 tablespoons at a time, until the pasta becomes glossy and lightly coated.
- Finish with additional Pecorino Romano, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and optional red pepper flakes.
Notes
Notes
Do not rinse the pasta after draining.
Pasta water is essential for creating the sauce.
Broccoli rabe should still retain slight bitterness and texture.
Traditional versions often use hot sausage, though sweet fennel sausage works beautifully.
Do not rinse the pasta after draining.
Pasta water is essential for creating the sauce.
Broccoli rabe should still retain slight bitterness and texture.
Traditional versions often use hot sausage, though sweet fennel sausage works beautifully.
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