Orecchiette with Broccoli Raab and Sausage
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Italian, by Michele Scicolone (Oxmoor House, 2007)

Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe is originally from Puglia, the heel of the boot that is Italy. It is southern Italian combination of bitter earthy greens with sweet fennel sausage, garlic and oil mixed with pasta. Also originating from the Puglia region of Italy, orecchiette is one of the best sauce-catching pasta shapes.

Broccoli raab, also known as rapini and cime di rapa, has a pleasantly bitter flavor that is an appealing contrast to the sweet pork sausage in the sauce. As you toss, both ingredients become trapp ed in the hollows of the ear-shaped pasta, making every bite wonderfully flavorful. Prepare this dish in cool-weather months, when broccoli raab is in season.

Lidia Bastianich adds a little butter with some chicken broth once the sausage is cooked and reduces it down to make a sauce. I also saw a recipe that added white wine to deglaze the pan and make a garlicky white wine sauce.

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plain fine dried bread crumbs
2 Tbs. sea salt, plus more, to taste
1 1/2 lb. broccoli raab, trimmed
1 lb. dried orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta)
1/2 lb. Italian sweet fennel sausage, casings discarded and meat coarsely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the 1 Tbs. olive oil. Add the bread crumbs and stir to coat them with the oil. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring often, until the crumbs are an even, deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour onto a plate and let cool.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a rolling boil and add the 2 Tbs. salt. Add the broccoli raab and cook, testing often, until the stems are just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs or a wire-mesh skimmer, lift out the broccoli raab into a sieve and cool it quickly under cold running water. Drain and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture. Chop coarsely and set aside.

Add the pasta to the boiling water, stir well and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in the fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the 1/3 cup olive oil. Add the sausage, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned, about 7 minutes. Add the broccoli raab and stir to combine with the sausage. Cook until the broccoli raab is hot throughout, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

When the pasta is ready, scoop out and reserve about 2 ladlefuls of the cooking water, then drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sausage mixture and the cheese and stir and toss well over low heat to combine, adjusting the consistency with some of the cooking water, if needed.

Divide the pasta among warmed plates or shallow bowls, top each portion with a sprinkle of the toasted bread crumbs and serve immediately. Pass the remaining bread crumbs at the table.

Serves 4 to 6.