Stranger Foods

Broccoli bolognese with orecchiette

Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 25 mins

Broccoli and sausage pair up for an indulgent veg-heavy pasta dinner. We generally use sweet Italian sausage, but like any legit weeknight meal, the recipe is flexible, so play around with your favorite style.

Source: www.bonappetit.com

Ingredients

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x0.5

1 large head of broccoli (600-700 g), cut into florets stalk peeled and chopped into 0.5" pieces
kosher salt
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 cloves garlic, smashed
12 oz fresh Italian sausage (about 3 links), casings removed
crushed red pepper flakes
340 g orecchiette
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
40 g Parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving

Instructions

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Cook broccoli in a large pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about . Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a colander and let cool (save pot of water for cooking pasta). Chop broccoli into small pieces; set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, shaking skillet occasionally, until it starts to turn golden, about . Transfer garlic to a small bowl. Cook sausage and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, breaking up meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, .
Bring reserved pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until barely al dente, about (set a timer for less than the package instructions; it will cook more in the skillet).
Meanwhile, ladle about ½ cup pasta cooking liquid from pot into skillet with sausage and add garlic and blanched broccoli. Keep mixture at a low simmer, stirring often and mashing with a potato masher to break up sausage even more, until pasta is finished cooking.
Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer pasta to skillet, then ladle in ½ cup pasta water. Cook, stirring, until pasta absorbs most of the liquid and is just al dente, about . Add butter and stir until melted, then transfer pasta to a large bowl. Gradually add 40 g Parmesan, tossing constantly until you have a glossy, emulsified sauce.
Serve pasta topped with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes and a drizzle of oil.

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