Sausage & Broccoli Pasta

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli 

For the first time this year I went for a walk this morning and there it was, that weather adjective I like the most of all (no coincidence that it is also one of my favourite foods), crisp. There was a crispness to the air at long last; heavy dew on the grass, and we finally wore our woolly jumpers instead of shorts and flip flops. I can tell you, after being feet al fresco since MAY I am really ready for some woolly socks. By 9 the sun was already burning my back so we hurried back home and all morning, between several readings of Superverme, I held tightly to this coveted crispness so that I could finally make something for lunch that felt properly warming.  

I had a head of broccoli that desperately needed using, and a pack of orecchiette that had been calling to me, so I added a sausage squeezed from its skin and made this plate of pasta, which is everything I want in a pasta dish; a little bitter and iron-tasting and just a whiff cabbagey, a little sweet, a little salty; properly humble and hearty. It’s a Puglian dish, really, what with the orecchiette and the broccoli which are so prevalent in Puglian cooking (specifically the wonderful and wonderfully named Cime di Rapa) but it makes sense here in Sardinia too; the strong cheese, strong greens and strong sausage. I used Vernaccia and pecorino Sardo. Perhaps next time I’ll make it with fregola (sausage and fregola work very well in most contexts). I also added a few fennel seeds because they work so well with sausage, and a little chilli for extra warmth. I kept it fairly simple so the Tiny Saint could eat it too, but by all means add or take away as you see fit. Somewhat unexpectedly, he adored it and polished off an entire plate full. Who said babies don't like strong flavours.

I hope things are crisp and cabbagey with you too.

Serves 4

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

2 cloves garlic, bashed and skin removed 

a pinch of cilli flakes 

a pinch of fennel seeds 

a sprig or two of rosemary

1 large head of fresh broccoli, trimmed down to small florets (peel the stalk and cut into small pieces too) 

3 large, Italian sausages (or the best meaty ones you can find), smushed out of their skins 

1 glass of dry white wine 

a few tbsp of grated pecorino 

plentiful extra olive oil to finish

salt and pepper 

320-400g or so of orecchiette, depending on hunger 

Bring a pan of well salted water to the boil. Drop in the broccoli pieces and poke them down. 

Meanwhile begin sautéing the garlic cloves in the olive oil. Cook until just golden and sizzling, then add the chilli, fennel and rosemary, and allow to cook for a minute or two. Now add the the sausage meat and allow it to become just golden, stirring constantly, then pour in the wine. By this time the broccoli should be tender (taste a piece). Fish it out of the water and drop directly into the pan with the sausage. Cook for a few minutes and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as required. Set aside. 

Cook the pasta until just al dente, then fish out and place into the pan with the sauce. Add the grated cheese, some of the pasta cooking water, plenty of fresh olive oil, toss and stir well, taste and season again as necessary, and then serve, with even more oil.