Sausage Broccoli Parmesan Pasta
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This sausage broccoli parmesan pasta is full of flavor and so easy to make. It is a longtime favorite of family and gets rave reviews every time.
Sausage and broccoli pasta is one of those dishes that we keep on repeat in our house. With simple ingredients that meld perfectly together, it is also a great way to add in some vegetables to your meal routine too.
Why You’ll Love This Sausage Parmigiana Recipe:
- Easy to Make! This recipe is perfect for a weeknight meal because it is so easy to make and is ready in less than thirty minutes.
- Fresh Ingredients! The ground Italian sausage and fresh broccoli give this dish so much flavor.
- Lots of Variations! You can substitute the pasta shape for other short cut style pastas. You can replace the ground sausage with ground beef or chicken.
This dish is a combination of a few simple ingredients that, when mixed together, taste quite amazing. Because there is no real pasta sauce here or anything be sure you use as high quality ingredients as you can when choosing your cheese and pasta. A freshly grated Parmesan works best because it will give you the best flavor. I also like to use a spicy Italian sausage for a little kick but you can easily just use regular.
Ingredients for Sausage Broccoli Parmesan Pasta
- Short Cut Pasta: I used orecchiette (or little ear pasta) in this recipe because I love how the sausage worked with the shape. You can choose any short cut pasta that you prefer though.
- Ground Italian Sausage: Regular or hot works here so choose your favorite based on the spice level you want for your finished pasta.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is the best option here.
- Broccoli: Broccolini, or baby broccoli, is ideal for this recipe. You can substitute regular broccoli, if needed.
- Parmesan Cheese: Look for high quality Parmesan Reggiano for the best results.
- Salt and Pepper
What is Orecchiette
Orecchiette comes from the Italian word orecchia, meaning “ear”, and -etta, meaning “small.” It is a variety of home-made pasta typical of Apulia, a region of southern Italy. Its name comes from its shape, which resembles a small ear. I love using it because the shape is perfect for tucking away little bits of sausage or grated cheese in the little “ear” part.
How to Make Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
This weeknight pasta recipe takes just a few steps to make.
- Cook the pasta. You’ll want to cook your pasta al dente based on the package instructions. Be sure to save some of the pasta cooking liquid before draining because it will be used to create the sauce.
- Cook the sausage. Brown the sausage and keep the drippings.
- Cook the garlic and broccoli in the drippings from the sausage. This helps add extra flavor to the fresh vegetables.
- Mix it all together and serve with freshly grated cheese.
Other Ground Sausage Recipes
- Spicy Sausage Pinwheels
- Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers
- Easy Sausage Bolognese
- Cheesy Sausage Crescent Ring
- Healthy Baked Ziti
Sausage Broccoli Parmesan Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces orecchiette pasta
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 cup broccolini chopped
- Salt and pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 3-4 Tbsp of salt and return to boil. Add pasta and cook for according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and then drain pasta.16 ounces orecchiette pasta
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook, stirring to crumble, until browned. Remove from pan with slotted spoon leaving the sausage drippings in the pan.1 pound ground Italian sausage
- Add broccolini and garlic to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until broccolini is softened and garlic is lightly browned. Add sausage, pasta and reserved pasta water to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.5 cloves garlic, 1 cup broccolini, Salt and pepper
- Transfer to serving bowl and top with fresh cracked pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.Grated Parmesan cheese
Notes
- You can use any short cut pasta in this recipe.
Nutrition
