Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Recipe

Warm, clamshell-shaped orecchiette catch bites of spicy sausage and bright broccoli, making this an easy, deeply flavored weeknight dinner.

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Prep the broccoli and sausage: Wash and separate the broccoli into florets and slice the stems. Remove casings from the sausage and break into bite-size pieces.
Bring the pasta water to a boil: Fill a large pot with water, add salt, and bring to a boil. Cook the orecchiette until al dente, reserving pasta cooking water.
Brown the sausage: Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add sausage, and brown until deeply colored and cooked through.
Sauté garlic and add broccoli: Push the sausage to the pan edge, add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until aromatic. Add broccoli and white wine; cover and steam.
Combine pasta and sauce: Add drained orecchiette to the skillet with reserved pasta water. Toss until the sauce emulsifies and coats the pasta.
Finish and serve: Turn off heat, stir in Pecorino and lemon zest, season, and serve immediately.

Use sweet or hot Italian sausage depending on your heat preference. For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free orecchiette.