Ingredients:

  • 1 lb (450g) Orecchiette pasta
  • 4 tbsp (60ml) Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp (15g) Kosher salt
  • 1 lb (450g) Italian pork sausage, casings removed
  • 4 cloves (20g) Garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp (2g) Red pepper flakes
  • 1 bunch (approx. 1 lb / 450g) Broccoli rabe, tough stems removed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tbsp (15ml) Fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup (50g) Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
  • ½ tsp (1g) Coarse black pepper

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the chopped broccoli rabe for exactly 2 minutes, then drain immediately and plunge into cold water to lock in the color. Squeeze out excess moisture.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles, and cook until mahogany-colored and crispy.
  3. Stir in the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing for 60 seconds until the garlic is translucent and fragrant.
  4. Add the blanched broccoli rabe to the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes.
  5. Boil the orecchiette until just under al dente.
  6. Transfer the pasta directly into the skillet using tongs, including 1 cup (240ml) of the starchy pasta water.
  7. Stir vigorously over high heat for 2 minutes, adding the lemon juice and grated Pecorino Romano, until the liquid reduces into a velvety glaze.