Your Cooking Coach
Show MenuHide Menu

Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pasta with Lemon Zest

Spread the love

broccoli-rabe-and-sausage-pasta1If I had to pick one pasta dish to eat for the rest of my life, it would be this.  I don’t know exactly why I love this pasta so much but every time I think about it, my mouth salivates!  I guess it is the combination of the savory golden brown chicken sausage with the earthy bitter broccoli rabe which really excites my palate.  A lot of people don’t use this green too much.  It’s a combination of not knowing what exactly broccoli rabe is and how to cook it. Contrary to the name, it is not related to broccoli.  It is actually part of the turnip family and so it has a very nice nutty flavor with a little bitterness.  I actually like the bitterness since it reminds me of mustard greens. The creaminess of the pine nuts goes really well with the bitterness. I also love the fresh citrus flavor of the lemon zest. I use Pecorino cheese instead of parmesan cheese because it has a stronger flavor and can stand really well to the strong flavored broccoli rabe. Overall it’s a light pasta with very strong flavors.  My favorite way to eat the dish is with crusty garlic bread and a nice bold red wine!

  • 1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4-5 links chicken sausage, sliced in 1 inch pieces
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts, roasted
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ pound cooked penne
  • ¼ cup reserved cooked pasta water
  • ½ cup fresh basil, chopped or torn
  • Zest of one lemon
  • ¼ cup pecorino romano, grated

In a wide frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and sauté on medium high heat for 5-6 minutes or till golden brown. Add the garlic and pine nuts, sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Next add the broccoli rabe and cook till the greens are wilted and cooked down, for about 5 minutes. Add the pasta with the pasta water. Add salt to taste and stir well. Finish the pasta with the lemon zest, basil and cheese.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

5 Comments
Dora
at

Monica,

I think I’m going to try this recipe out just because I love penne, and I like the healthy balance of the chicken sausage with broccoli rabe! Just wondering why you have to add the pasta water to the frying pan? And how much do you really have to add?

Thanks!

at

It is my favorite pasta dish. You add the pasta water to create a bit of sauce- since it is starchy water, it thickens up
really quick. About half a cup is good.

at

Sounds WONDERFUL. Eager to make it. But how much is a “bunch” of broccoli rabe??

at

When you buy broccoli rabe in the super market, it comes in a tied up ‘bunch’. One of those is
sufficient for this recipe. Good luck!

Joe
at

My “go to” comfort food….even without the pine nuts it’s delicious and better with some crushed red pepper flakes……just have some crusty bread for the juices at the bottom of the plate

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *