Minutes Prep time: 30
Minutes Total time: 30
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Intermediate
1 pound orecchiette or shell pasta, uncooked
1 bag (10.8 oz each) Birds Eye® Steamfresh Broccoli Florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian pork sausage links, casings removed
3 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Nutrition information
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium | 113 mg | 11% |
| Carbohydrate | 68 g | 23% |
| Cholesterol | 56 mg | 19% |
| Total Fat | 25 g | 38% |
| Iron | 3 mg | 18% |
| Calories | 607 kcal | 30% |
| Sodium | 878 mg | 37% |
| Protein | 25 g | 51% |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g | 52% |
| Sugars | 4 g | 0 |
| Vitamin C | 17 mg | 28% |
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Just before draining pasta, ladle out 2 cups of pasta water into a heat-proof glass measuring cup. Drain pasta.
While pasta is cooking, microwave broccoli according to package directions. Pour broccoli out onto a large cutting board and chop it into small pieces.
Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and Italian sausage to skillet and cook until sausage is browned and starting to get crispy, about 6 minutes, stirring to break up the large pieces. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until garlic is softened, about a minute.
Pour in reserved pasta cooking liquid and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add Parmesan a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly.
Stir in pasta, broccoli and butter until butter is melted and sauce coats the pasta. Garnish Italian sausage and broccoli pasta with additional cheese, if desired and serve.
Italian Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
