Saturday, April 28, 2012

Lucy Burdette's Broccoli Rabe and Sausage Pasta

LUCY BURDETTE: It's a cold and rainy day in Connecticut--the kind of day that calls out for something hot and hearty for supper. And it's also the season for broccoli rabe (aka rapini) which is, for those not familiar, related to the mustard family with a slightly bitter taste. The heads resemble tiny broccoli bunches and the stems are eaten right along with the green leafy parts.

Broccoli rabe calls out to be paired with sausage, though I've gotten to the point where I feel guilty when I eat it. However, I spotted some Aidell's Italian-style chicken sausage in the local market and snapped that up. This dinner is quick--maybe half an hour start to finish if you remember to start your pasta water boiling early.




Ingredients:

1 bunch broccoli rabe, washed and chopped into one-inch pieces (discard tough ends and any yellow leaves
1 package Aidell's Italian chicken sausage (4 links) or other to your taste
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 box sturdy pasta such as ziti or rotelli
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Slice the sausage into rounds and fry it in olive oil (1-2 Tbsp) until brown and crispy. Remove to a bowl. Saute the garlic in the same pan for 45 seconds, then add the chopped broccoli rabe and the chicken broth. Steam until bright green but still a little crunchy. Add the sausage back in and heat. Hot pepper flakes could be added here if you like a little more zip.

Serve over pasta with  lots and lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.





(For dessert, we are having chunks of pineapple and strawberries with a couple of Wendy's buttery shortbread cookies. If you haven't tried them, delicious!)




PS Tonight, Saturday April 28, we'll find out the Agatha Award winners at the Malice Domestic convention for the celebration of the traditional mystery. Best of luck to Krista Davis for her Best Novel nomination! And we hope one of the MLK nominees (Krista, Avery, or Lucy) comes home with the teapot for best short story!

Lucy Burdette is the author of the Key West food critic mysteries, including AN APPETITE FOR MURDER and, coming in September, DEATH IN FOUR COURSES. The new cover knocks her socks off! You can "like" her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter, or check out her new obsession, Pinterest!

5 comments:

  1. I've always wondered about broccoli rabe... I see chefs on TV use it all the time. This recipe is right up my alley!!

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  2. This recipe sounds delicious-I'll have to give it a try!

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  3. Another wonderful post and recipe, Lucy, thanks for sharing, and warmest congratulations to you (and Avery and Krista) on the Agatha nominations! Marc and I hope you have a wonderful weekend at Malice. Cheers!

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  4. thank you all--hope you enjoy! Dana Cameron won the teapot for best short story, but we all had a wonderful time as nominees!

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