One Pot Sausage Broccolini Orecchiette

One Pot Sausage Broccolini Orecchiette

This one-pot sausage and broccolini pasta is going to be your new favorite weeknight dinner. It’s got savory, sausage, tender broccolini, and little pockets of orecchiette that are the perfect vessel to hold the creamy, lemony sauce. Best of all, it’s made all in one pot for even easier cleanup. You’re going to love this one!

One of my favorite pairings is orecchiette with sausage. “Orecchiette” translates to “little ears” in Italian, referring to the little pocket that just holds on to sauce and little sausage crumbles so incredibly well. By cooking the pasta in broth in the same pot, not only do you get the flavor of the chicken broth in your pasta, but the starch from the pasta mixed with parmesan cheese, allows the sauce to thicken and become creamy without any cream. Lemon zest, juice, and fresh basil brighten up the whole dish and just make this a home run.

Cooking Tips:

• Customize with Veggies: Feel free to swap out broccolini for other vegetables like spinach or kale, just adjust the cooking time to what you use. If you’re using something like spinach, add it at the very end just before serving, as it wilts quickly.

• You can use whatever pasta shape you prefer, but I personally love orecchiette because it holds sauce beautifully - like little pockets of sauce. 

• One pot pasta cooking is a balance of time, patience, and intuition. Variations like heat, size of pot, and type of pasta you use can all vary cooking times or amount of broth needed, so feel free to adjust based on your own instincts! The sauce may look a little soupy at first, but it will absorb the liquid as it cooks, and once you add the parmesan cheese it will thicken!. Keep stirring occasionally to ensure the parmesan melts properly into the sauce.

• You absolutely have to use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pre-grated parmesan does not melt in the same way as fresh, and your sauce will be stringy instead of creamy.

• Reheating tips: Pasta often becomes dry after being stored in the fridge. To reheat, simply add a little water or extra chicken broth to a pan over medium heat. Once bubbling, add the leftover pasta and toss, cooking until warmed through. This helps restore the sauce’s creamy texture without it becoming too thick.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

For the One Pot Sausage and Broccoli Orecchiette:

• 8 oz orecchiette pasta

• ½ lb Italian Sausage

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 shallot, minced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 3½ cups chicken broth*

• 1 bunch broccolini

• Zest and juice from 2 lemons

• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• ½ tsp dried parsley or Italian seasoning

• ½-1 tsp calabrian chili paste or red pepper flakes 

• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

*Note: the amount of broth you use in this recipe will depend on a variety of factors including the pasta you use, the pan you use, the heat your pan is set to, etc. Start with 3.5 cups and if you see your pasta losing moisture before it gets cooked, lower the heat and add in some more broth!

Directions:

For the One Pot Sausage and Broccolini Orecchiette:

• Heat a wide, deep pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, drizzle in the olive oil.

• Remove the casing from the sausage and add it into the pot. Sear the sausage on one side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Then, flip and break it up with a wooden spoon, crumbling it as it cooks.

• Add the chopped shallots along with a pinch of salt, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened.

• Stir in the garlic and dried parsley, and toast for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.

• Add the orecchiette pasta to the pot, stirring to coat it in the sausage and shallot mixture. Pour in 3 cups of chicken broth, stirring to combine.

• Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring every few minutes, for 13-15 minutes, or until the pasta is almost al dente (it should still have a bit of bite, as it will continue cooking in the next steps).

• While the pasta cooks, prepare the broccolini: cut the broccolini in half, separating the florets from the stems. Slice any thicker stems in half lengthwise for even cooking.

• Add the broccolini stems to the pasta along with ½ cup of chicken broth, lemon zest, and Calabrian chili paste. Stir well and cook for 1 minute before adding the broccolini florets.

• Continue cooking for another 2 minutes, or until the pasta is fully cooked and the broccolini is bright green and tender.

• Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Toss everything together, allowing the residual heat to melt the cheese and thicken the sauce.

• Season with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh basil. Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and a sprinkle of chili flakes, if desired. Enjoy!