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Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pasta

4.86 from 14 community reviews

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Sausage and broccoli rabe pasta is a classic — without a doubt, this is one of my favorite family-style pasta recipes. The hearty sauce is made with crumbled, browned Italian sausage, leafy broccoli rabe, fresh garlic, and olive oil and tossed together with round orecchiette pasta (you can use any short pasta shape).

Orecchiette pasta in a bowl, with sausage and broccoli sauce.

This a classic, Italian-style pasta dish that’s pretty much on nonstop weekly rotation in our house, along with pasta with broccoli sauce. Cook this easy pasta dinner at home in about 30 minutes, using a pasta pot and a large skillet.

Start off with juicy Italian sausages, a big bunch of broccoli rabe and dried pasta — you’re already halfway to dinner!

Time-saving shortcut:

After years of cooking this recipe, I’ve finally streamlined the process so there’s no need to blanch the broccoli rabe separately.

Using a method called pan-steaming, the greens cook in the same pan as the sausage. You’re welcome!

~Karen
Ingredients arranged for cooking broccoli rabe sausage pasta, including a bunch of broccoli rabe, Italian sausage, grated parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, chopped onion, garlic cloves and dried orecchiette pasta.

About the ingredients

  • Broccoli rabe: Also called rapini, broccoli rabe is a dark, leafy green in the Brassica family, with a robust, bitter flavor. Bundles of broccoli rabe were a regular sight when I was growing up in an Italian-American family in New England. It’s a classic veggie, and simple sautéed broccoli rabe alone is an easy side dish. Instead of broccoli rabe, try making this pasta with the same amount of broccoli, or another type of leafy vegetable such as spinach or kale.
  • Italian sausage: I favor pork sausage because it’s nice and juicy, but you can use Italian-seasoned sausage made with chicken, turkey, or even plant-based sausage.
  • Dried pasta: Orecchiette (which means “little ears” in Italian) is a cute button-shaped pasta originating from the Italian area of Puglia. It’s the authentic type of pasta to use in this recipe. It has a wonderfully chewy texture, and its cup shape holds the chunky, meaty sauce and greens perfectly. You can any other short pasta noodle types you have in your pantry, such as rigatoni, penne, or ziti.
  • Fresh garlic: You don’t need to add a crazy amount of garlic here — the sausage should already be seasoned with it. I use about 1 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic, about 1 plump clove or 2 smaller ones.
  • Grated cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano if you enjoy its sharp taste (it’s a bit saltier than Parmesan.

Fun fact: A California produce company came up with the genius idea to sell market broccoli rabe, a one-time niche vegetable, a leafy green on par with kale. It’s definitely gained traction in the food world, showing up not only in Italian cuisine, but in recipes inspired by global cooking.

How to prep broccoli rabe for cooking

Recipe rundown (in photos)

Round pasta combined with crumbed sausage and broccoli rabe in a large skillet.
This recipe serves four, with one pound of sausage, one pound of broccoli rabe, and 8-12 ounces of dried pasta.
Broccoli rabe sausage pasta in a serving bowl.

Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pasta

Karen Tedesco
Sausage and broccoli rabe pasta is made with crumbled, browned Italian sausage, leafy broccoli rabe, fresh garlic, and olive oil, all tossed together in one pan with orecchiette pasta (you can use any short pasta shape). Cook this easy pasta dinner at home in about 30 minutes, using a pasta pot and a large skillet.
Print
4.86 from 14 community reviews
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound (450 g) Italian sausage, hot or sweet, made with pork, turkey or chicken; removed from casing if not bulk purchased
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ pound (225 g) orecchiette, or other short chunky pasta such as rigatoni
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or 1 teaspoon (extra spicy!)
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
  • ½ cup chicken broth, or pasta cooking water
  • 1 pound (450) broccoli rabe, (1-2 bunches), trimmed and sliced into 2-3-inch pieces (see how-to photos here).
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or grated pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and a big pinch of salt (it helps to release water and soften the onions). Cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes until softened.
  • Meanwhile, bring 4-5 quarts water to a boil and salt generously. Cook the pasta until al dente — the time will depend on the brand and shape. If you're using pasta cooking water instead of chicken broth, scoop out ½ cup then drain the pasta.
  • Turn the heat up under the sauté pan to medium-high. Crumble the sausage and add to the pan with the onion. Cook, using a spatula to break up the clumps of meat, until the sausage is cooked and lightly browned, stirring frequently, 5-7 minutes.
  • Stir in the red pepper and garlic and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth or pasta water. Pile the broccoli rabe on top of the sausage. Cover the pan and cook 5 minutes. The broccoli will steam and turn vibrant green.
  • Add the cooked pasta and cheese to the pan, Stir everything together over low heat.
  • Serve the pasta hot, with additional cheese on the side.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

  • Leftovers will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator. If the pasta has absorbed the sauce, reheat with a few splashes of chicken stock or broth.
  • Stir in 1/2 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes or slow-roasted tomatoes with the cooked pasta for extra color and flavor.
  • I specify 1/2 pound, but you can use up to 12 ounces of dried pasta in this recipe for 4 servings. After testing with a full pound of pasta, I thought the consistency wasn’t as saucy as I wanted. You can scale up the recipe to serve 8 (double the recipe and use 2 large skillets). 

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 802mg | Potassium: 469mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2104IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.

4.86 from 14 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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3 Comments

  1. This is a family favorite! Often requested on for birthday dinner! I usually use asparagus instead- but it’s still delicious! We fight over the leftovers! Also love the cheese!

  2. Kathie Book says:

    What a fabulous dish !
    Last night while the kids trick or treated, I prepared this elegant and super easy meal.
    It was a hit! Everyone oohed and awwed and annihilated it in no time.
    This is a keeper and I will use this both for special occasions and regular meal rotation.

    1. Kathie, you made my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. And I love that you took the time to cook while the kids were out, too. Halloween is usually the hardest night for me to cook, because I’m usually on door duty at the same time!