Orecchiette with Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe and Parmesan by Mike & Enza Huff, Enza's Italian Restaurant
Yield: Serves 4-8
Ingredients:
2 lb broccoli rabe 4 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 lb Italian sausage, casing removed 2 lb orecchiette pasta 3 cloves garlic, sliced ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 5 oz. grated fresh Parmesan Cheese
Preparation:
1. Clean broccoli rabe by cutting off 1 inch from the bottom of each stem. Blanch broccoli rabe in boiling salted water in large stock pot until almost fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove and shock in ice water to retain bright green color. Drain well and hold.
2. Heat 2 fl oz. of oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until nearly cooked through, crumbling the sausage with a whisk. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente, about 6 minutes. Remove from water and drain.
4. While the pasta is cooking, re heat sauté pan over medium heat with the residual fat from the sausage add a little olive oil if needed. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and broccoli rabe. Cook about 5 minutes or until broccoli rabe is soft, stir in sausage to combine. Add the pasta and toss to mix.
5. Garnish with remaining parmesan and serve