ORECCHIETTE WITH SWEET SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE PESTO

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Orecchiette With Sweet Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pesto image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories     dinner, pastas, main course

Time 45m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Salt
1/2 pound broccoli rabe, stems trimmed off and discarded or saved for another use
3 cloves roasted garlic, peeled
10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 cup finely chopped fennel bulb
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
2 cups chicken stock
500 grams (about 1 1/4 pounds) dried orecchiette, or fresh (made with 4 cups of flour)

Steps:

  • Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add broccoli rabe and cook about 5 minutes, until tender. Drain and place in a large bowl of ice water. Drain and squeeze dry. Turn on a food processor and drop garlic in through the feed tube. Stop machine, scrape down sides and add broccoli rabe. Pulse until finely chopped. Stop machine. Add 6 tablespoons oil. Pulse until pesto comes together but is not creamy or thoroughly emulsified. Transfer to a bowl and fold in ¼ cup cheese.
  • Heat remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan on low. Add fennel and onion, and cook until soft but not brown. Add sausage and cook, mashing it to a fine crumble, until it is no longer pink. Add chicken stock and cook until the stock has mostly evaporated and just glazes the sausage. Transfer sausage mixture to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Return sausage to the pan. Fold in broccoli rabe pesto. Set aside.
  • Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orecchiette and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Reheat sausage mixture and add about ½ cup of the pasta water. Drain pasta and add to pan with the sausage mixture. Toss ingredients together until pasta is evenly coated. Fold in remaining ½ cup cheese, check seasoning and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 731, UnsaturatedFat 24 grams, Carbohydrate 72 grams, Fat 35 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 32 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 828 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams

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