Cavatelli With Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

"This is something that I grew up on. My grandmother made this all the time. It is so filling and tasty (and comes together pretty quickly, too)!"
 
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photo by ken  cooks photo by ken  cooks
photo by ken cooks
Ready In:
30mins
Ingredients:
8
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Place sausage in a large skillet over medium heat and, using a wooden spoon, cook until brown and crumbly.
  • Meanwhile, bring at least 4 quarts of lightly salted water to boil and add broccoli rabe and cavatelli. Cook until pasta is done, approximately 11 minutes. Before draining, reserve approximately 2 cups of pasta cooking water.
  • When sausage is done, remove from skillet with a slotted spoon. Add extra virgin olive oil to skillet drippings and cook over medium heat until warm. Add sliced garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook until lightly golden (about 1 minute). Add about 1 cup of pasta cooking water to skillet and cook for 1 minute more. Then add drained pasta and broccoli rabe to skillet. Stir to combine and add reserved sausage. Add salt, pepper, and cheese to taste. Stir to combine again. Simmer for 2 minutes or so. If too thick, add more of the reserved pasta cooking water until desired consistency.
  • Add more cheese before serving and enjoy!

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Reviews

  1. This is absolutely delicious! Cooking broccoli rabe and pasta together was genius so broccoli wasn't bitter and cooking time was cut in half. Loved it!
     
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Tweaks

  1. I made it two ways! One with vegan sausage and one with meat sausage! I added butter to the Beyond sausage and was able to produce some fond(like its meat counterpart) to scrape up into the pasta water. I also added sambal to the garlic and oil as I fried it!
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I didn't start cooking until my early 20's, even though I come from a family of accomplished and admired home cooks. While I grew up watching my Italian grandmother in the kitchen, I remained uninterested in trying anything on my own. As a young lady, I was known for being particularly ignorant in the kitchen, with no idea how to even make a hot dog! All this changed, however, when I got engaged. I realized it was time to let my inherent talents out of the bag. At the time, the New York Times had a weekly column called The 60-Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey. Each week, I would follow these recipes diligently, and taught myself to cook that way. From there, I began to read cookbooks and consult with relatives on family recipes. At my ripe old age now, I feel I know enough to put together a very pleasing meal and have become accomplished in my own right. Having an Irish father and an Italian mother, I'm glad I inherited the cooking gene (and the drinking one too!). One thing I have learned is that simpler is always better! I always believe cooking fills a need to nurture and show love. After being widowed fairly young and living alone with my dog and cats, I stopped cooking for awhile, since I really had no one to cook for. I made care packages for my grown son occasionally, and like to cook weekly for my boyfriend, so I feel like I am truly back in the saddle!!
 
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