Broccolini with Italian sausage pasta might just be my favorite pasta recipe. While I say this about all carbs, this time I really mean it. It’s a recipe that’s light, flavorful, and textured. In our home, my husband is the primary cook of this dish. He like’s how simple it is to put together + it’s always a hit! An added bonus is you probably have all of the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches of broccolini, cleaned and trimmed, leaving a generous portion of stem on
  • 1 box of short pasta (orecchiette, shells)
  • 3 sweet/mild Italian sausages
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
  • 1/2 shallot, diced
  • 1 tbsp EVOO
  • Kosher salt and pepper and crushed red pepper

Instructions:

  • Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, set aside reserving 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce and saving the rest for steaming the broccolini.
  • Steam the broccolini in the pasta water until al dente and bright green, set aside.
  • Peel the casing off the sausage and place them in a deep pan on medium heat. As they cook you’ll want to break up the sausages into bite size chunks. Once fully cooked drain the grease from the pan and return the pan to the stove.
  • Over medium-low heat add in the shallot and saute until translucent, approximately 2 minutes. Then add in the garlic and saute until fragrant.
  • Add the pasta and 2 tbsp of EVOO to the pan with the sausage mixture and combine.
  • Add the pasta water and the broccolini to the pan and as David would say, “fold it in”. Season with kosher salt and pepper, plus a touch of crushed red pepper. Serve immediately.