Rigatoni with Sausage and Broccoli

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Have you ever fallen in love with pasta? I have, and it's been a beautiful relationship ever since. I will never give up eating carbs, because carbs are life, and also essential. In fact, carbohydrates are in virtually everything we eat, and they only differ via complex or simple carbs. Pasta is just a versatile food and can be made a million different ways. I'm pretty simple when it comes to pasta recipes. There's really no need to make it so complicated, because pasta, when made well, tastes just so good.

Here's a few of my pasta recipes I know you'll love:

I cannot begin to explain how much I love rigatoni with sausage and broccoli. It's such a classic pairing: al dente rigatoni pasta tossed in a garlic and oil sauce, with deliciously ground pork sausage paired with fork tender broccoli florets.  What's not to love? Fresh grated parmesan on top with a sprinkling of red pepper flakes as garnish, ugh it's just such a good meal. I also love making this so that my entire house smells like garlic. The first time I ever made this dish, I overcooked the broccoli, leaving it to completely fall apart. This time around, I knew to keep the broccoli firm, but soft enough to chew with a slight snap. I also remember to keep the flame consistent so that the broccoli steamed and sautéed evenly. This dish comes together pretty quickly, and can technically be made in one pan/pot, but I used two: one for the pasta, one for the sausage and broccoli.

Broccoli and Sausage Pasta Tips:

  1. Can't find ground sausage? Buy the sausage links and cut the casing open to take the sausage meat out. It works just as well!
  2. Add some parmesan to the broccoli and sausage in the garlic and oil sauce before the pasta. It'll help to thicken the sauce.
  3. Don't strain the pasta in a separate colander. Use a spider (or slotted) ladle and scoop the pasta directly into the broccoli and sausage pan. It'll actually retain some of the pasta water and is way easier/less clean up - #winning

Rigatoni with Sausage and Broccoli

Pasta makes everything better. Add in some ground Italian sausage, broccoli, in a garlic and oil sauce, and it's the best tasting pasta dish you'll make by far. What's better than garlic, oil, and carbs?

Author:
Morgan

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground pork sausage
  • 3 tbsp avocado oil
  • 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 cups chicken stock or veggie stock
  • Red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Rinse and chop broccoli into small florets and set aside.
  2. If you have sausage links, use a knife to pierce the sausage and take the ground meat out of the casing.
  3. Add 2 tbsp of oil to a deep frying pan or Dutch oven and begin to brown the ground sausage, approximately 4-5 minutes.
  4. Remove the sausage. To the pan or Dutch oven, add in the garlic, broccoli, and a little bit of the stock (or water). Cover to let steam and cook for 5-7m.
  5. Add back in the ground sausage and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cover and let cook 5 minutes so that the broccoli begins to soften. Add in more of the stock and gauge the tenderness of the broccoli.
  6. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and stir.
  7. To the pan, add the drained pasta (leaving a little bit of pasta water for the sausage and broccoli). Stir on low for 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

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