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Italian Sausage Orecchiette with Garlic and Broccoli

Savory Italian sausage tossed with orecchiette pasta, broccoli, shallots, garlic, and apples coated in a buttery white wine sauce, topped with Parmesan.
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 30-35 min
Calories: 620 Fat: 21g Carbs: 63g Protein: 22g

We love trying different kinds of pasta in the Local Crate test kitchen. In this recipe we introduce you to orecchiette pasta, which in Italian means “little ear.” These round, ear-shaped pasta have a perfect divot to hold sauce and grated cheese or crispy bits of meat. Not only is this little pasta very functional. We think it’s a lot of fun!

Ingredients
Broccoli
Apple
Orecchiette pasta
Garlic
Red pepper flakes
White Wine
Shallot
Mild Italian sausage
Butter
Parmesan
Featured Ingredient Partners:
Italian sausage: Hidden Stream Farms - Elgin, MN

What you need

Large sauté pan

Medium pot with lid

Small bowl

Cooking Instructions

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Step 1: MISE EN PLACE

Read through entire recipe before getting started. Bring 6 cups salted water to boil in a medium pot. Wash and dry all produce. Cut broccoli into small florets. Mince or grate garlic. Peel and julienne shallot. Remove core and seeds from apple, slice into ¼” half-moons. Remove Italian sausage from package; pat dry and place in a small bowl. Leave butter out on the counter to soften.

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Step 2: COOK PASTA

Add orecchiette pasta to boiling water, stir, and cook for 7-8 min until al dente. Reserve 1⁄4 cup of pasta water, then drain well and drizzle with a little oil to keep from sticking. Set aside. While the pasta is cooking, start cooking the Italian sausage (Step #3).

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Step 3: COOK SAUSAGE

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and red pepper flakes. Cook for 6-8 min until starting to brown. Reduce heat to medium.

Note: The USDA recommends cooking ground pork to an internal temperature of 165ºF.

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Step 4: SAUTÉ VEGETABLES

Add broccoli, shallot, apple, and 1 tsp. oil to the sausage. Cook 5-6 min, stirring frequently, until apple and shallots have softened. Add garlic and cook 1 min.

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Step 5: MAKE THE SAUCE

Add white wine and reserved pasta water to deglaze pan; scrape up any browned bits in the pan. Add butter three-quarters of Parmesan cheese, and orecchiette. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste; mix until sauce is well-combined.

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Step 6: PLATE YOUR DISH

Divide pasta between two bowls and garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!