Broccoli bolognese with orecchiette

Broccoli and sausage pair up for an indulgent veg-heavy pasta dinner. We generally use sweet Italian sausage, but like any legit weeknight meal, the recipe is flexible, so play around with your favorite style.

Source: www.bonappetit.com

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Cook broccoli in a large pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about
   3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to a colander and let cool (save pot of water for cooking pasta). Chop broccoli into small pieces; set aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, shaking skillet occasionally, until it starts to turn golden, about
   2 minutes. Transfer garlic to a small bowl. Cook sausage and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, breaking up meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through,
   6-8 minutes.
3. Bring reserved pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until barely al dente, about
   9 minutes (set a timer for
   3 minutes less than the package instructions; it will cook more in the skillet).
4. Meanwhile, ladle about ½ cup pasta cooking liquid from pot into skillet with sausage and add garlic and blanched broccoli. Keep mixture at a low simmer, stirring often and mashing with a potato masher to break up sausage even more, until pasta is finished cooking.
5. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer pasta to skillet, then ladle in ½ cup pasta water. Cook, stirring, until pasta absorbs most of the liquid and is just al dente, about
   4 minutes. Add butter and stir until melted, then transfer pasta to a large bowl. Gradually add 40 g Parmesan, tossing constantly until you have a glossy, emulsified sauce.
6. Serve pasta topped with more Parmesan and red pepper flakes and a drizzle of oil.

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