Oreccchiette with Turkey Sausage and Broccolini

Sunday night I was at a loss for dinner.  As always I turned to Pinterest (whatever did I do without it?).  I found this recipe for Oricchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe.  Sounded good to me!

However my local market (which typically has a great produce selection) did not have broccoli rabe. They did have broccolini.  And, confession time here, I forgot to bring a shopping list with me.  Thus I ended up making a pasta dish inspired by but different from the above recipe.  Despite my lack of preparation it turned out good and I thought I'd share it here.

The key to this recipe is really good sausage -- whether that be turkey or chicken or pork.  I bought a mild turkey sausage made with paprika, basil and sun-dried tomatoes.  This sausage was ground and made at my local market.  Mmmm mmmm!  Your sausage will make or break this dish.

I've not cooked much with broccolini but decided to use the whole vegetable.  The stems gave this dish delectable texture and a bit of crunch.  Broccolini has a mild sweet taste and was a wonderful counter to the sausage (which though mild still had a bit of spice).

This recipe serves 4 to 6 people and takes about 30 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 bunch Broccolini, stems chopped into small pieces and heads free from stems
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Pound Mild Turkey Sausage (or chicken or pork)
16 ounces Orecchiette Pasta
1 Lemon
2 tbsp Corn Starch
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt to taste
Olive Oil

• In large pot bring salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain. 
• While pasta is cooking add ~ 2 tbsp olive oil to a large skillet.  
• Cook sausage on medium high, breaking up as you go, until cooked through.  
• Add garlic to skillet and cook for approximately 30 seconds or until fragrant.
• Add broccolini; stems and heads
• Add 2 cups pasta water to skillet and deglaze the pan. 
• Cook for 2-3 minutes until broccolini bright green and stems just beginning to get soft
• In small bowl mix corn starch with enough water to dissolve, add to skillet, stir until sauce thickens. 
• Add pasta to skillet and mix well. 
• Grate zest from lemon over pasta.  Cut lemon and juice over pasta. 
• Top with cheese to taste.
• Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

xo.