Italian · main

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette reads umami 6.4, richness 5.9 and salinity 5.3 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian main, about 26 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.5 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.3 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.3 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.4 · Richness 5.9 · Salinity 5.3 · Allium 3.7 · Herbaceous 2.8 · Sweetness 2.7 · Fruity 2.7 · Funk & Ferment 2.6 · Sourness 2.5 · Citrus 2.5 · Bitterness 2.2 · Heat 2.2 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Earthy 1.8 · Floral 1.5 · Nutty 1.1

What's in it (11)

• salt — 30 g
• broccoli rabe — 454 g
• dried leaf oregano — 340 g
• sweet italian sausage — 454 g
• extra-virgin olive oil — 41 g
• garlic — 18 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• dry white wine — 118 g
• unsalted butter — 27 g
• pecorino romano cheese — 57 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g

Time & effort: about 26 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 131.3 kcal, 8.7 g protein, 6.1 g fat, 17.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and stir in 2 tablespoons of the salt. Add the broccoli rabe and blanch until bright green and just tender, about 2 minutes. Lift it out with a slotted spoon into a bowl of ice water, then drain well, squeeze dry, and roughly chop. Keep the pot at a boil.
2. Add the orecchiette to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 11-12 minutes. Scoop out and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
3. While the pasta cooks in step 2, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, and cook until deeply browned and cooked through to 160°F, 6-7 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind in the skillet.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the garlic, and the red pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden at the edges and fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, and simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
6. Add the chopped broccoli rabe and the browned sausage back to the skillet; toss until warmed through and well coated, 1-2 minutes.
7. Add the drained orecchiette and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet; toss vigorously over medium heat until the sauce clings and looks glossy, about 1 minute, splashing in more pasta water a tablespoon at a time if it looks dry.
8. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the butter and Pecorino Romano, tossing until melted and the sauce turns creamy and emulsified. Season with salt and the black pepper to taste.
9. Divide among warm bowls and finish with more grated Pecorino.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Sausage and Peppers — Italian-American
• Moelas Guisadas — Portuguese
• Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta — Italian-American
• Sausage and Fennel Ragu with Pappardelle — Italian
• Spicy Sausage Rigatoni — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.