Here’s my super long story before the recipe:
This morning I found this article (via Joy the Baker) from Thought Catalog called I’m Sick of Summer. It completely sums up how I feel about summer, especially since we’re in the middle of a heatwave right now.
Except, I don’t have to deal with the monotony of year-round job and I do have the excitement of a new hockey season each fall to remind me that something new is coming. But really, this is the reason I look forward to fall every year.
This recipe is totally unrelated to being sick of summer. I have no interesting story to tell you about pasta with Italian sausage and broccoli, other than saying that I love this meal.
I used to make it all the time, but somehow I forgot all about it. It’s been forever, but it’s just as delicious as I remember it. And, I now I’ve made it dairy free.
This recipe would be great with: tomato bruschetta / strawberry poppyseed salad / chocolate chip cookie bars
Ingredients:
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
- Italian sausage – Mild, spicy or sweet. You can use whatever Italian sausage style you prefer. I normally use sweet because I love that extra fennel flavor.
- Nutritional yeast – This is my dairy free alternative for parmesan cheese in this recipe. It blends nicely into the “sauce”, but you can use vegan parmesan (or if you can have dairy, feel free to use cheese).
- Broccoli – Fresh broccoli is best here. If you need to use frozen, it will not need as long to cook. I would only add it in the last two minutes or so.
Melissa’s tips for recipe success:
- My trick for adding fresh broccoli to any pasta dish – instead of cooking the broccoli separately, add it to the pot about 4-5 minutes before the pasta is supposed to be done (check the package instructions). Strain the pasta and the broccoli together, and you’ll have less dishes to do.
Frequently asked questions
More pasta recipes you’ll love: sesame noodles / butternut squash pasta sauce / penne bolognese / shrimp fettuccine / pasta fresca
Italian Sausage Pasta with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 pound farfalle pasta
- 1 head broccoli, chopped
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, *see notes
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil for the pasta. Cook the farfalle according to package directions, adding the broccoli to the pot 4 minutes before straining.
- Brown the sausage. Heat a large, nonstick skillet to medium-high. Add the sausage meat and brown, breaking it into small pieces. Continue cooking, stirring as needed until the sausage is golden brown and caramelized.
- Make the sauce. Add olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat and continue cooking until the pasta is ready. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before straining the pasta and broccoli.
- Toss everything together. Add broccoli and farfalle to the skillet – adding 1/4 cup of pasta water at a time until the sauce has reached the right consistency. Stir in the nutritional yeast before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Recipe inspired by Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes.
We eat organic only so We made this with all organic ingredients and brown rice and quinoa penne. I accidentally overdosed on Chili flakes but simple, delicious skilet dinner recipe and will definitely make again.
My family really enjoyed it. I made it with Italian chicken sausage with kale. Made sure I really crisped it up! I messed up though and added the olive oil with the sausage but it didn’t make a difference. Used the pasta water and added Parmesan cheese at the end along with some shaved Parmesan on top before serving. Delicious.
We make this about once a week. It’s foolproof and delicious. I measure it all with my heart and it turns out great every time. It’s not meant to be saucy.
Great dish! I’ve made this dish twice now and it always turns out perfectly! I, like other commenters, sub with Parmesan cheese.
Good work in this Blog & amazing info with fantastic quality.
Delicious and easy. I also appreciate how versatile the recipe can be. I put more pasta water than the recipe suggested to make a bit more of a sauce and so reheats a bit better.
This is so delicious I make this once a month now. I add roasted red grapes at the end to kick it up a notch love the sweetness it brings to the dish. Delicious recipe!