Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 lb. Italian sausage, a combination of hot and sweet according to your taste, cut into bite-size pieces
1 lb. broccoli rabe, cooked (see below)
1 cup broccoli rabe water (see below)
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. bag of Orecchiette Pasta
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Procedure:
Heat oil and stir in garlic in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and sauté until meat is cooked and loses its raw look. Add cooked broccoli rabe to sausage. Add rabe water, and salt and pepper to taste. Raise heat and cook until sauce is hot. Meanwhile, cook Rao’s Orecchiette in rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain Orecchiette. Return drained Orecchiette to the pot. Place over medium-high heat and stir in 3/4 cup of broccoli rabe and sausage sauce. Using a wooden spoon, toss together for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour into a large serving platter or bowl. Spoon remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese.
Broccoli Rabe – two bunches of broccoli rabe. Remove any tough outer or damaged leaves. Cut off the stems and tear the leaves into large pieces (about 3 to 4 inches). Wash in a sink filled with cold water. Shake off excess water. Place broccoli rabe in a deep saucepan with cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring just to a simmer over high heat. As soon as bubbles appear at the sides of the pan, remove it from the heat. Drain cooking water. (Reserve it if you are going to combine the broccoli rabe with pasta or are going to prepare a Rao’s recipe requiring broccoli rabe water.) Immediately place broccoli rabe in cold water to cover to stop the cooking process. When broccoli rabe is cool, drain well in a colander and pat dry. Cover with a damp cloth and refrigerate until ready to sauté or add pasta or sauces.
Restaurant: Rao's
Recipe Type: AuthenticSubmitted By: Rao's
Recipe Author: Rao's
Original Photograph By: Rao's
Photograph Retouched By: Recipe Spy
Recipe Source: http://www.raos.com/orecchiette-w-broccoli-rabe.aspx#.Uh_0G9K-pmM