Rapini with Sausage and Pasta is an elegant Italian classic and one of my all-time favorite pasta dishes! Savory Italian sausage is cooked with garlic and a touch of red pepper flakes, then combined with tender rapini (broccoli rabe), orecchiette pasta, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. It’s the perfect dish for a busy weeknight and easy to prep ahead of time for entertaining guests.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Kosher salt
1large bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed and stems trimmed
12ouncessmall shaped pasta,such as orecchiette or cavatelli
2tablespoonsolive oil
1poundmild or hot Italian sausage,casings removed (I use chicken sausage)
4large garlic cloves,thinly sliced
1/2teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
½cupdry white wine (see notes)
freshly ground black pepper
½cupfreshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese,plus more for serving
Instructions
Roughly chop the broccoli rabe and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the rapini and boil until bright green, about 2 minutes. Leaving all the water in the pot, use a spider skimmer or sieve to lift the broccoli rabe out of the pot and place it in a colander to drain. Set aside.
Bring the same pot of water back to a boil (the water will be green from the rapini and that's OK). Add the pasta and cook until very al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set aside.
While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until deeply browned and crumbled, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute.
Stir in the blanched broccoli rabe along with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 3 minutes, until the rapini is very tender. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of pasta water.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together and cook over low heat for 1–2 minutes, allowing the sauce to come together. If needed, add more pasta water, a little at a time, to keep the sauce loose. Tip: Pasta absorbs liquid quickly, so ensure there’s enough sauce pooling at the edges of the pan. You may need the full cup of pasta water.
Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper, if needed. Divide the pasta among shallow bowls and top with extra Parmesan before serving.
Notes
White wine - Any dry white wine such as a Pinot Grigio will work here. If possible, use one you love that you'll also enjoy with your dinner. If avoiding alcohol, use a splash of pasta water to deglaze the pan.
If you like your pasta al dente like me then undercook it by 1 to 2 minutes so it can finish cooking in the pan.
Reserve that pasta water! Aside from the wine, the starchy pasta water is the only liquid used to make a bit of a sauce so don't forget to save it.
Taste for seasoning. This recipe doesn't call for a lot of salt because some sausages can be very high in sodium. That said, the pasta and the rapini can be a little bland so make sure to taste the final dish and adjust the seasoning accordingly.