Broccoli Pasta with Sausage Recipe

A serving of the broccoli pasta, with a fork.

5 from 2 votes

Broccoli Pasta with Sausage Recipe

Broccoli Pasta with Sausage is a hearty and flavorful dish featuring tender pasta, savory sausage, and vibrant broccoli, all tossed in a garlic-infused parmesan sauce. The combination of spicy or mild sausage with the fresh, crisp broccoli creates a meal the whole family will love!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword broccoli pasta, rigatoni pasta, rigatoni with broccoli

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 574kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound turkey sausage (or any pork sausage) - removed from casings
12 oz. rigatoni pasta - or another type of pasta is fine
8-10 cups broccoli florets
3 Tablespoons butter
4-5 cloves garlic - minced
6-8 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese - or about 2 cups
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
1 cup reserved pasta water - you may not need all of the pasta water
red pepper flakes - to serve

Instructions

Prep. Cut the broccoli into florets, trimming the stems off. Mince the garlic. Freshly shred the parmesan cheese.
Brown the sausage. Remove the turkey sausage from the casings. (if using regular pork sausage, you may not need to do this.) Cook in a skillet over medium heat, until done. Add to a colander to strain out some of the grease.
2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound turkey sausage (or any pork sausage)
Cook pasta. Fill a large stock pot about halfway with water. Bring to a boil - and add pasta along with a good amount of salt. The salt is important to flavor the pasta AND the pasta water (that will be used later).
After about 6-7 minutes, add the broccoli to the same pot. Cook until broccoli is JUST tender and pasta is al dente - just a few minutes more.
12 oz. rigatoni pasta, 8-10 cups broccoli florets
RESERVE PASTA WATER and drain. Dip a one-cup measuring cup into the cooked pasta and broccoli to reserve the pasta water. Then drain the pasta and broccoli in the sink using a colander.
Make pasta sauce. Heat a pot over medium-low heat. Add butter and when melted, add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Then add half of the freshly shredded parmesan cheese and about 1/4 cup of pasta water. Stir constantly until cheese is melted.
Add the remaining parmesan, more pasta water, and some red pepper flakes. Stir again until melted. You may need additional pasta water (up to a cup).
3 Tablespoons butter, 4-5 cloves garlic, 6-8 oz. freshly grated parmesan cheese, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 cup reserved pasta water, red pepper flakes
Add pasta, broccoli, and sausage to the sauce. Add the cooked pasta, broccoli, and sausage to the sauce and stir well to coat. (You may want to add more pasta water here.) Test for seasonings.
Serve. Serve broccoli pasta with additional parmesan cheese and extra seasoning as needed.

Notes

Store leftover broccoli pasta in an airtight container for 3-4 days. We like to meal prep this too.

Nutrition