Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli is a filling and delicious weeknight meal. This easy pasta recipe comes together in 35 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 1100kcal

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add the olive oil to the hot pan.
Add the ground sausage to the pan and sauté for 10 minutes, breaking the meat apart with a spatula as it cooks.
While the sausage is cooking, cook the orecchiette pasta to al dente per the package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve ¼ cup of starchy pasta water.
Add the diced onions, minced garlic, black pepper, salt, and crushed red pepper to the pan with the sausage. Cook for 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Add the broccoli florets, black olives, and stock to the pot. Stir to combine, cover with a lid, and cook for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, remove the lid and stir. Cook for another 2 minutes and then remove the pan from the heat.
Add the cooked orecchiette pasta into the pan with the sausage and broccoli. Add the ¼ cup of starchy pasta water, butter, and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese. Stir together for 1 minute to combine.
Top with remaining ½ cup parmesan cheese and enjoy!

The olives are optional, we love the flavor and texture of the olives in this pasta dish, but they can be omitted.
Hot Italian sausage or sweet Italian sausage works great, use the hot if you don’t mind the extra spice.
We love orecchiette pasta but cavatelli, ziti, or other small pasta works great too.