Sausage Pesto Pasta with Rapini is a hearty Italian pasta dish with a little spice. The orecchiette pasta's texture and curves catch the flavor from the kale pesto, Italian sausage, and flavorful rapini. Each bite of this rustic dish is an explosion of flavor. It's an effortless pasta recipe that is sure to impress and make you feel like you're in Italy!
1bunch rapini or broccoli rabetough stems removed and chopped into 4-inch pieces
½cuppesto
1lborecchiette
½cupItalian flat-leaf parsley chopped for serving
Parmigianno-Reggiano for serving
Instructions
Blanch rapini - Add water to a large pot and 2 tablespoons of salt. Heat the water until it reaches a boil. Place the rapini in the water and cook for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the rapini and place it in a bowl. Save the water in the pot for pasta.
Cook Sausage and shallots - In a separate large pan, braiser, or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shallots and sausage to the pan and use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into small pieces. Cook until the sausage is cooked through and becomes golden and crumbly in texture, about 5-7 minutes.
Season the meat - Stir in the chili flakes, salt, and garlic to the sausage and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Cook the pasta - Bring the pot of water back to a rolling boil. Add the orecchiette to the water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Before draining the water, reserve a cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Mix ingredients - Add rapini, orecchiette, and pesto to the pan of sausage. Gently fold in the ingredients until the orecchiette is evenly coated with pesto. Stir in pasta water ¼ cup at a time until combined with other ingredients.
Serve and enjoy - Serve the pasta in bowls, garnish with parsley, and serve with Parmigianno-reggiano.
Notes
Storage
Refrigerate leftover pesto pasta for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. To reheat, place leftover pasta and sauce in a braiser or dutch oven. Reheat over low heat and occasionally stir until the hot.