This delicious sausage and broccoli pasta is a modern twist on a classic Italian dish.
Versatile flavor profile…
If you’re a garlic lover, like me, then you will absolutely fall in love with this simple pasta dish. Sausage just isn’t the same without a broccoli wingman (or broccolini or broccoli rabe, for that matter). Paired with a garlicky sun-dried tomato olio and you’ve got a party in a bowl. I served this combination with pasta for my family but I subbed my serving with a load of arugula and potatoes since I have cut grains out of my diet. If you are looking for a carb-free alternative, you could serve over cauliflower rice or some zoodles.
There are lots of other substitutions/additions that you could make to this sausage and broccoli pasta; brussel sprouts for broccoli, add in zucchini or bell peppers, or add some greens like Swiss chard or watercress. This is the kind of combination that you can play with and make your own.
How to finish…
Back when I was eating pasta, I topped this dish with toasted pine nuts and pecorino romano. Boy, do I miss those days… but I definitely don’t miss the way I felt when I was eating grains or dairy. For those of us that are on Whole30 or have ever been on a round, that’s FOOD FREEDOM right there! For those of you who still enjoy pasta, this one is for you. 🙂
Enjoy!
Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 lb of pasta
- 1 lb of uncooked Italian style sausage, peel casings off
- 1 large head of broccoli, cut into individual florets (or broccoli rabe/broccolini)
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 cup olive oil
- salt
- pecorino romano cheese (or parmesan)
- pine nuts (optional)
Instructions
Fill a 12 qt stockpot and heat over high heat. Pour in about 2 tbsp of olive oil to water.
Toast pine nuts in toaster oven set to 250 for 5-10 minutes (watch carefully so the nuts don't burn). Once golden brown, set aside.
In cold large sauté pan, pour in 1 cup of olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. Turn on burner and heat on medium heat. Once the garlic starts cooking, stir frequently and cook for about 30 seconds or until light golden brown. (Putting garlic in cold pan helps to prevent garlic from burning).
Add sausage to hot pan, stirring and breaking up into smaller pieces. Cook thoroughly. Ideally, this will coincide with the pasta cooking but if the timing is off, just take the pan off the heat.
Once water is boiling in stockpot, pour in a scoop of salt. Add broccoli and cook for 1 minute. Remove from water, and put in saute pan with sausage.
Pour in pasta to boiling water and stir immediately. Cook pasta according to directions on box.
Once pasta is finished cooking, drain and add to bowl. Pour sausage and olio mixture over pasta. Stir to coat entirely. Add pine nuts and cheese.
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