Orecchiette with Broccoli and Chicken Sausage

This is something that I had in my bookmarks for a while now, and finally just got around to making it last night! While the original recipe I used called for Broccoli Rabe, I am a bit leery of it due to horrible past experiences. I really only found one recipe that I used with it to my liking, but it was still a bit bitter so I thought better of it and stayed away from those tricky little buggers! I bought Orecchiette pasta this past spring to try with a pesto, pea, and mint dish I wanted to try but never got around to it so I am thinking the reason I came across them in my pantry last night was fate… Sigh….

Adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/04/orecchiette-with-chicken-sausage-and.html

Anyways this is very basic and here is what we did to make it happen…

Ingredients

1- 16oz Pkg Whole Wheat Orecchiette

2 Large Heads of Broccoli; chopped

2 Large Cloves of Garlic; minced

4 Chicken Sausages; casings removed

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Cup Chicken Broth

Salt & Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes *optional

First things first, chop your broccoli….

Remove the casings from your chicken sausages… I used Al Fresco’s Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage, very yummy! Probably the only ones I actually like haha!

Cut sausages into thick coins then cook in a skillet over medium heat….

I know that like myself, you have probably been told growing up not to play with your food… this time around I am asking you to! We need to break up the sausages while cooking so that they are broken into bite sized crumbles! YAY

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil then add the Orecchiette and cook according to package for al dente.

Steam broccoli in another pot until tender….

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add minced garlic, cooking until fragrant and tender, about 2 minutes. *careful you do not burn garlic