Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Pasta is always a great food to cook on the weekdays.  You can take a few simple ingredients and have a meal that has starch, vegetables, and protein all in one dish.  One of the dishes we've made many times is this pasta dish with sausage and broccoli rabe. Broccoli rabe in not always everyone's favorite due to it's slightly bitter taste but I love it. Also, if you don't like broccoli rabe, this is a good way to eat it as the blanching of the rabe takes away some of the bitter taste.  This recipe also creates a broth type sauce using the residual water from the rabe and the pasta that Wil enjoys.

Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Adapted by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb sweet Italian pork sausage
4 garlic cloves (you can put more if you like!)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes I lean towards more since Wil likes it spicy)
1 large bunch of broccoli rabe, roughly chopped
1 lb of pasta (I used orecchiette since I had it on hand but any short pasta like penne can be used)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping


Boil a large pot of water.  Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a large saute pan and brown the sausage.  Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes, but don't burn the garlic.  Once the water boils, throw in the broccoli rabe and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender but still has a slight bite to it.  Take the broccoli rabe (but reserve the cooking water to put the pasta in) and put in cold water to stop the cooking process and preserve the fresh green color. Then, toss the rabe into the saute pan with the sausage.  Place your pasta in the same pot of boiling water and cook according to your pasta's directions.  Once the pasta is done, transfer to the saute pan with the broccoli rabe and sausage.  Add the grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste. You may also put in some of the pasta water to make more of a sauce.  Serve the pasta and top with more Parmesan if you wish!