Broccoli Melt Orecchiette

Directions

Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil and blanch broccolini for 1 minute.

Remove blanched broccolini with a slotted spoon (don’t dump water, it’s for the pasta too) and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering and add Broccoli Melt sausages, crushing them with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up into smaller bits.

While the sausage is cooking, bring the water back to a boil and add the orecchiette. Set your timer for 3 minutes less than what the package directions tell you do (regardless of what pasta shape you use).

Once the sausage has started to brown (4-5 minutes), add crushed garlic cloves and lower heat, stirring the mixture occasionally until the garlic is fragrant—about 2 minutes. 

Stir in crushed red pepper and the zest of ½ of your lemon.

Add chopped broccolini to the sausage mixture along with 3 tablespoons of butter.

Remove about 1/3 cup of the pasta water (it’s ok if that pasta isn’t done yet) and add it to the Dutch oven, using the water and your wooden spoon to loosen up all the brown bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pan.

Let that liquid cook down a bit for about 30 seconds before adding another ¾ cup or so of pasta water. 

Drain your pasta (reserve some water just in case you want your sauce thinner), and add it to the Dutch oven, stirring to coat it with sauce, and cook over medium-low heat for another 2 minutes.

Add your grated parmesan, stirring constantly. 

Add the remaining lemon zest and the juice of the whole lemon. At this point you should taste for seasoning and adjust to your preference.

Transfer orecchiette to a large serving bowl and toss with fresh parsley and more cheese before serving.