Italian sausage and broccoli pasta

5 from 2 votes

Italian sausage and broccoli pasta

This hearty pasta dish is packed with protein and nutritious vitamins and minerals, and is easy to make in under 30 minutes.

Course 30-minute meal, dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 818kcal

Author Marlynn Schotland

Equipment

1 stockpot
1 Large Skillet

Ingredients

12 ounces pasta ziti, penne, orrechiette, or rigatoni
2 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving
1 pound mild italian sausage, bulk (removed from casings)
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ pound chopped broccoli florets (about 2-3 cups)
⅕ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup dry white wine
½ Tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon thinly sliced basil leaves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (optional) for serving

Instructions

In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Toward the end of cooking time, reserve 1 cup of hot starchy pasta water for the sauce.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and break up with a wooden spoon or meat chopper, stirring regularly.
Once the sausage is just browned (about 4-5 minutes), add the garlic. Stir and sauté all together for 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic is softened.
Add in the broccoli and red pepper flakes, and stir.
Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the white wine. Cook at medium heat, stirring regularly, until the wine is absorbed. This can take anywhere from 1-3 minutes.
When the pasta is done cooking, add 1 cup of the starchy pasta water to the sauce in the skillet with the meat and vegetables.
Drain the pasta and add the pasta, lemon zest, and basil to the skillet. Toss the pasta to coat with the sauce and to evenly distribute the flavors.
Season with kosher salt and pepper. Drizzle with additional olive oil just before serving.
Optional: Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, or for a dairy-free umami nutty flavor, sprinkle in nutritional yeast.

Notes

Makes approximately 4 servings.

Note: this makes a very thin sauce that lightly coats the pasta, sausage, and broccoli. You can drizzle more olive oil before serving then toss to coat. If you want a thicker sauce, try adding either a half cup to one cup of heavy cream after heating the white wine if you want a creamy sauce. Or, add a quarter cup (4 tablespoons) of butter to the pasta if you want a buttery sauce.

Storage: allow the pasta to cool, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.

Substitutions:

Substitute chicken broth for the white wine.

Nutrition