Shelly's Recipe

BROCCOLI AND SAUSAGE ORECCHIETTE

Category: Pasta - Meat

1 lb broccoli, chopped into long florets which using most of the stalk, everything but the toughest part
1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage (or sweet Italian sausage links, cases removed) - my grandmother uses link sausage, but I like the way the bulk sausage permeates the dish
1/4 cup butter
2 cups beef stock
1 cup red wine (or substitute part of the stock with wine and make up for that cup with pasta water later)
1 lb dried orecchiette pasta

Blanche or steam your broccoli until it begins to soften but is still mostly crisp. Strain broccoli, and set aside.

Brown sausage in a high walled skillet (or saucepan). When the sausage is fully cooked, add the broccoli and saute for several minutes while the broccoli softens.

Add the butter and then the stock and wine, slowly as the skillet needs moisture. Once all the liquid has been added, bring the contents up to a boil and down to a simmer.

Boil the water for the pasta and cook according the package directions. Under cook the pasta by just a couple of minutes - it should just be al dente - and move the pasta to the skillet, reserving the pasta water. Continue to cook until the pasta is done and add pasta water as needed (you might not need any if you used 3 cups of liquid). Serve with parmesan cheese.