Go Back
–+ servings
A skillet filled with orecchiette pasta, broccoli florets, crumbled sausage, and grated Parmesan cheese, with a wooden spoon and a bowl of extra cheese nearby on a striped cloth.
Print Recipe
No ratings yet

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli

Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli is one of those pasta dishes that looks like it came from a restaurant but comes together in a single skillet in about 30 minutes. What makes my version stand out is the sauce. Instead of chicken broth, I use beef broth, which gives the sauce a noticeably deeper, more savory base that coats every little "ear" of pasta beautifully. Finished with butter and freshly grated Pecorino Romano, this is the kind of weeknight dinner that earns seconds every single time.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time21 minutes
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Broccoli, Italian Sausage, orecchiette
Servings: 4 people
Author: Olivia Ribas

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
    A pot filled with cooked orecchiette pasta sits on a brown countertop, viewed from above.
  • While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5–6 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
    A hand pours broth from a measuring cup into a skillet with browned ground meat, stirred by a wooden spoon. Fresh broccoli is visible on a tray beside the skillet.
  • Lower the heat to medium and stir in the minced garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, just until fragrant.
  • Add the remaining olive oil, beef broth, broccoli florets, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the skillet.
    A black pan on a brown surface contains cooked ground meat and fresh broccoli florets being stirred with a wooden spoon. A hand is adding more broccoli to the pan from a metal tray.
  • Stir frequently, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3–4 minutes, until the broccoli is tender-crisp and the liquid reduces slightly.
  • Stir in the butter and let it melt into the sauce. Simmer for another couple of minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
  • Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet (or return it to the pasta pot and pour the sausage mixture over it). Sprinkle in half of the Pecorino Romano and toss well to coat.
    Cooked orecchiette pasta is being poured from a pot into a skillet containing sautéed broccoli and ground meat, with a wooden spoon resting in the mixture.
  • Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve warm, topped with the remaining grated cheese.
    A bowl of orecchiette pasta mixed with cooked ground meat, broccoli florets, and grated cheese, with a fork in the bowl and a checked cloth napkin beside it.

Notes

To store leftovers, let the pasta cool completely and transfer it to an airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add a splash of water or broth to the pan and warm it over medium-low heat, stirring gently until everything loosens up. The microwave works too, covered, with a tablespoon of water stirred in.
I have frozen this before with decent results, though the broccoli softens after thawing. If you are planning to freeze a batch, slightly undercook the broccoli in step 4 so it holds up better after reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 | Calories: 586kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 37g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 807mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g