Pasta lovers rejoice! If you’re feeling saucy then you’ll have to try my Orecchiette with Sausage and Rapini for a dinner that is the epitome of gustoso! This dish couldn’t be easier to make, comes together in just over 30 minutes and makes for the perfect weeknight or weekend dinner!
While working in the financial district, I would frequent an Italian restaurant for business lunches. Being a bit of a creature of habit, I would always order the Orecchiette with Sausage and Rapini. Words cannot adequately describe how delicious this dish was. I loved it so much that I was determined to recreate it at home. And, that I did! Get ready for a little taste of Italy in the comfort of your home!
My tried-tested and true recipe starts with Orecchiette, which translates into “little ears” in Italian. This pasta hails from southern Italy and resembles small ears, making it the perfect vessel to capture the light and flavourful wine and butter sauce, caramelized hot Italian sausage and bright, fresh, nutty and slightly bitter rapini. All the ingredients combine to create the most satisfying spoonful - that will have your taste buds singing!
If you’re looking for a dinner with maximum flavour with minimal effort, you’ll have to give this recipe a try! So, what are you waiting for?! Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
For more pasta dishes like this, check out my Pasta Genovese, Spicy Penne Pasta, and Spaghetti with Pesto Cream Sauce recipes.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients:
4 hot Italian sausages (approx. 720g), casing removed (See Notes below)
1 bunch of rapini (approx. 1 lb)
1 lb dried Orecchiette pasta (See Notes below)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup dry white wine (See Notes below)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (See Notes below)
Additional grated Parmesan cheese, as garnish
Instructions:
Remove the sausages from the refrigerator and bring them to room temperature for 20 minutes.
To prepare the rapini, wash, pat dry and trim the ends of the stems. Cut the rapini stems into 1/4 inch slices and the leaves into 1/2 inch slices. For larger leaves, cut them in half lengthwise before slicing them thinly.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the orecchiette. Cook in accordance with package instructions, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, to a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and red pepper flakes. Once hot, add the Italian sausages.
Using a spatula or spoon, break up the sausages into small pieces and cook for 12 minutes or until caramelized. Add the garlic and salt and sauté for 1 minute.
Reduce the heat to medium and deglaze the skillet with white wine. Cook for 5 minutes. Then, toss in the rapini, stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat and to the skillet, add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water, butter and Parmesan cheese and mix until combined.
Toss the sausage and rapini mixture with the pasta. Enjoy as is or garnish with additional Parmesan cheese!
Notes:
Removing the Casing: I highly recommend removing the sausage meat from its casing. Not only does it assure that you have some sausage with each and every bite but it gives this dish a more pleasant mouthfeel and consistency. Using a sharp knife, cut into the casing and remove the meat. Add the meat to the skillet and discard the casing.
Tone Down the Spice: Hot Italian sausage combines with red pepper flakes to create a pasta dish with an assertive kick. If you prefer a little less spice, then simply replace the hot Italian sausage in this recipe with mild Italian sausage. But, do me a favour, add the red pepper flakes, as they balance out the flavours of the sausage and rapini and add incremental depth of flavour to this dish.
Pasta Substitution: If you don’t have Orecchiette in your pantry or can’t find it at your local grocer, have no fear! You can simply substitute it with Conchiglie (small shell pasta) or Rotini (short and corkscrew shaped pasta) . Both varieties are the perfect vehicle for this dish, as they contain crevices that trap the sausage and rapini pieces, leading to maximum flavour in a single bite.
Sauvignon Blanc Reigns Supreme: For this recipe, I recommend using your favourite Sauvignon Blanc wine. It’s light bodied, crisp and refreshing, dry, tart and has a pronounced acidity, which enhances the brightness of this dish and pairs beautifully with the sausage and rapini.
Fresh Is Best: Nothing quite compares to freshly grated Parmesan cheese! It’s rich, nutty and too savoury for words. At your local grocer, you’ll find pre-grated Parmesan cheese and the shelf-stable varieties but, I highly recommend buying a piece of fresh Parmesan and doing the grating on your own. It makes a world of difference. Once you try freshly grated, you’ll never go back!