Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

What follows may be one of my less inspired dishes, but it's absolutely awesome and it's really easy to make. And fret not, I put at least a little bit of a personal touch to it. I love the way the heat of the sausage works with the almost creamy texture of steamed broccoli. A bit of tang from some lemon goes a long way to round out a great flavor profile for this dish.

Broccoli and sausage make a phenomenal pairing.

Ingredients:

  - 2 medium crowns of broccoli, chopped into bit-sized pieces

  - 1 pound hot Italian sausage (loose ground meat)

  - 3 cloves garlic, sliced

  - 1 pound pasta (I like a short pasta, but something like fettuccine would be great too)

  - 1 cup grated parmesean or pecorino romano cheese

  - 1 tbsp lemon juice

  - Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Begin frying the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Meanwhile, begin boiling water for the pasta. Add pasta as soon as the water is ready.
3. Continue cooking the sausage, crumbling it up with a wooden spoon. After about five minutes, start heating water to steam broccoli.
4. When the sausage is browned, reduce heat to medium-low and move it all to the outside of the pan. Pour about two tablespoons of olive oil into the pan and saute the garlic until it starts to turn golden. Begin steaming the broccoli at this point as well.
5. The broccoli, garlic/sausage, and pasta should all be done at around the same time. Combine in a large bowl and stir together.
6. Add the cheese and stir. Add additional olive oil so that the pasta just barely sticks together - this will probably be two or three tablespoons.
7. Add the lemon juice and stir.

This is a pretty simple meal that doesn't really require much preparation. You do have to watch the sausage pretty closely to ensure a good browning, but it isn't difficult and it's very forgiving.  You can easily make this with sausage links as well - I would recommend baking them to drain out some of the fat. I go for 400 degrees for about 35 minutes, when they're releasing juices and just starting to turn a deep brown. Let them sit for five minutes before slicing and adding to the pasta.

If you like a little extra heat, crushed red pepper flakes will serve you well in this dish. As I mentioned in my post about conceptual cooking, I've found that I like broccoli and lemon together. Broccoli rabe or broccolini could be a great substitution for broccoli - they both add a different flair and will still complement the lemon juice. If you'd like to make this a bit healthier, you could substitute some or all of the sausage with chicken, but you would want to add some spices to help with flavor. I'd use extra garlic and throw in some marjoram and/or fennel seeds. I warn you that it won't quite be the same dish. You could also use whole wheat pasta - it'll add a different flavor, but certainly not a bad one. I personally pass on whole wheat pasta because I'm not crazy about the texture.

Final Verdict:

Taste: 4.5/5

Ease: 3/5/5

Health:: 3/5