Orecchiette with Broccoli, Sausage, and Roasted Peppers

It seems like it should be super easy to just make something new and blog about it. Right? Not always. Inspiration can be lost on current events or something like the lack of necessary ingredients.

I thought I was out of fresh recipes to share — and then I found this! I didn't want to raid the "probably not" folder — the rejected recipes that didn't taste good or that didn't photograph well. I went straight to my trusted cookbook and had happy people around the dinner table.

This recipe definitely won't go into the rejected recipe file.



What You'll Need


table salt

1 pound orecchiette

4 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
9 medium cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced (3 tablespoons)

1 cup roasted red peppers (8 ounces), cut into ½-inch squares

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds broccoli, florets cut into bite-sized 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into ¼-inch thick pieces

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (2 ounces)



What to Do

1. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil, covered, in stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain and return to stockpot.

2. While pasta is cooking, cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces with spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, roasted peppers, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Increase heat to high; add broccoli and 1/2 cup water, then cover and cook until broccoli begins to turn bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until water has evaporated and broccoli is tender, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add broccoli mixture, oil, and cheese to pasta in stockpot; toss to combine. Serve immediately.