Pasta With Broccoli & Italian Sausage

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 head broccoli (approximately 3/4 lb.)
• 2 1/2 links sweet italian sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 lb dried short pasta such as fusilli, penne, ziti
• salt & pepper
• 2 ounces pecorino romano cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• 2 clean broccoli & separate florets from the stems. remove the tough peel from the stems & cut into cubes. place in steamer & steam to desired tenderness. reserve the broccoli water.
• 3 remove the casings from the sausage. heat the olive oil to medium high and brown the sausage flattening & chopping until all is browned.
• 4 add garlic, fennel seed & red pepper flakes. cook until garlic is pale brown. remove from the heat.
• 5 add steamed broccoli & 1/2 cup of the broccoli water to the sausage.
• 6 add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
• 7 scoop out the pasta & add to the sausage & broccoli along with 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
• 8 reheat the sausage, broccoli & pasta & stir until the water mostly boils away & forms a nice sauce. 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
• 9 if too dry add more water from pasta &/or broccoli.
• 10 grate 1/2 ounce of pecorino romano cheese over pasta reserving the remaing cheese for tableside.
• 11 salt & pepper to taste.
• 12 can be reheated in microwave. just sprinkle with a little water before heating.