Sweet Italian sausage, tender broccoli rabe, and orecchiette tossed in a silky sauce with garlic, anchovies, white wine, and Parmigiano. Fresh lemon zest brightens every bite, and golden anchovy breadcrumbs add the perfect crunch.
During my first trip to Puglia this summer, pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage was one of the dishes I couldn’t wait to come home and recreate. The little pockets of pasta caught the crumbled sausage and greens, and every bite had that balance of richness, bitterness, and salt that makes a simple dish so satisfying.
I spent a lot of time in Italy growing up, including living there for two years, but visiting a new region always gives me something new to bring into my own kitchen. In Puglia, orecchiette is such a big part of that experience, especially when it’s made by hand. Homemade pasta is beautiful, but you absolutely don’t need to make your own to put a delicious version of this dish on the table. Here, I’m using rigatoni, which catches the sausage and sauce just as nicely.
My version is all about building flavor along the way. I brown the sausage in its own fat, melt anchovies into the pan, and use white wine to loosen all those browned bits from the bottom. Then I finish with lemon zest and crispy anchovy breadcrumbs. Those little decisions are what make this recipe my own, while bringing me right back to the flavors that inspired it.
Why You’ll Love Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
- Flavor built into every step. Browned sausage, melted anchovies, and a splash of white wine create a sauce with plenty of depth from a short ingredient list.
- A balance of rich and bright. The broccoli rabe’s pleasant bitterness and fresh lemon zest balance the sausage and Parmigiano.
- A crunchy finishing touch. Anchovy breadcrumbs bring texture and another layer of flavor to each bowl.
- No homemade pasta required. I use dried rigatoni here, making this an easy dish to bring into your regular dinner rotation.
Ingredients
- Sweet Italian sausage: I remove the casings so the sausage can brown in small crumbles and distribute throughout the pasta.
- Broccoli rabe: Its pleasantly bitter leaves, florets, and tender stems balance the richness of the sausage. Trim away the tough stem ends before cooking.
- Kosher salt: For the cooking water and any final seasoning. The sausage, anchovies, and Parmigiano already contribute plenty of salt, so taste as you go.
- Anchovies: These melt into both the sauce and breadcrumbs, adding a rounded, savory flavor.
- Garlic: Thin slices soften in the rendered sausage fat and flavor the sauce.
- Red pepper flakes: A little heat works beautifully with the sausage and greens.
- Dry white wine: Loosens the browned bits from the skillet and adds acidity.
- Orecchiette: These little ear-shaped pasta pieces catch the crumbled sausage, broccoli rabe, and sauce. I use dried orecchiette, but fresh work beautifully too.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Helps the anchovies dissolve and the breadcrumbs toast evenly.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Toast into a light, crisp topping.
- Lemon zest: Adds fresh citrus flavor without extra liquid.
- Parmigiano: Finely grated cheese melts into the pasta water to help finish the sauce.
How to Make Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
- Brown the sausage. Add the sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat without any oil. Break it into small crumbles and let it cook in its own rendered fat until well browned, about 8–10 minutes. Give it a little time between stirs so it develops color.
- Blanch the broccoli rabe. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the broccoli rabe for 3–5 minutes, until the stems are tender. Lift it out with tongs or a spider, keeping the water in the pot for the pasta. Drain well, let cool slightly, and chop into roughly 1-inch pieces.
- Build the sauce. Reduce the heat under the sausage to medium. Clear a little space in the skillet and add the anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the rendered fat. Stir for 1–2 minutes, breaking up the anchovies until they dissolve and the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for a few minutes until reduced.
- Cook the orecchiette. Return the broccoli rabe water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve about 2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Toast the breadcrumbs. While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and stir until they break down. Stir in the panko and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl so they stop cooking.
- Bring everything together. Stir the chopped broccoli rabe and lemon zest into the sausage mixture. Add the orecchiette and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss over medium heat until the pasta is al dente and the sauce begins to coat it.
- Finish with Parmigiano. Remove the skillet from the heat and gradually add the finely grated Parmigiano, tossing as you go. Add more pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is silky and coats the pasta. Taste before adding any additional salt.
- Serve with crunch. Divide among bowls and finish with more Parmigiano and a generous sprinkle of anchovy breadcrumbs.
Tips and Tricks
- Let the sausage brown. Stirring constantly keeps it from developing those golden edges. The browned bits left in the skillet are part of the sauce, so scrape them up when you add the wine.
- Keep the sauce slightly loose. The pasta continues absorbing liquid as it sits. A final splash of pasta water before serving helps keep everything silky.
- Add the breadcrumbs at the table. I keep them separate until serving so they stay crisp against the saucy pasta.
Substitutions
- Pasta: I love orecchiette here for their shape and connection to Puglia. If you don’t have them, another short pasta, such as shells or fusilli, will work.
- Sausage: Use hot Italian sausage if you prefer more heat, and adjust the red pepper flakes accordingly.
- Broccoli rabe: Broccolini works if you prefer a milder green. Cook just until its stems are tender.
- White wine: Replace with a splash of pasta water to loosen the browned bits. The flavor will be a little different, but the lemon zest still brings brightness.
Leftovers
Refrigerate leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store the cooled breadcrumbs separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat the pasta gently in a skillet with a splash of water, tossing until warmed through and the sauce loosens. The pasta will soften as it sits, so it’s at its best freshly made. Briefly retoast the breadcrumbs in a dry skillet before adding them to your bowl.
FAQ
No. Orecchiette are traditionally made by hand in Puglia, but dried orecchiette work beautifully in this recipe. Their little curves catch the sausage and greens, and finishing them in the skillet with pasta water helps the sauce coat every piece.
They melt into the sauce and add a savory, salty layer of flavor. The breadcrumbs have a slightly more pronounced anchovy flavor, which I love alongside the sausage, greens, and lemon.
Blanching tenderizes the stems and mellows some of the bitterness. Using that same water for the pasta also saves you an extra pot.
Finely grate it and add it gradually with the skillet off the heat, tossing continuously. Keep some pasta water handy so you can loosen the sauce as the cheese goes in.
Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, tough stem ends trimmed
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2-3 anchovy fillets
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 lb orecchiette
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano, plus more for serving
- Reserved pasta water, as needed
For the anchovy breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-3 anchovy fillets
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Brown the sausage. Add the sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat without oil. Cook, breaking it into small crumbles, until well browned, about 8–10 minutes. Let it develop some color between stirs.
- Cook the broccoli rabe. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until the stems are tender, about 3–5 minutes. Lift it out with tongs or a spider, leaving the water in the pot. Drain well, let cool slightly, and chop into roughly 1-inch pieces.
- Add the aromatics and wine. Reduce the heat under the sausage to medium. Clear a little space in the skillet and add the anchovies, garlic, and red pepper flakes to the rendered fat. Cook, stirring, until the anchovies dissolve and the garlic is fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Add the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for a few minutes until reduced.
- Cook the orecchiette. Return the broccoli rabe cooking water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve about 2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Make the breadcrumbs. While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and stir, breaking them up until dissolved. Add the panko and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Combine the pasta and sauce. Stir the chopped broccoli rabe and lemon zest into the sausage mixture. Add the drained orecchiette and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss over medium heat until the pasta is al dente, adding more pasta water as needed.
- Finish with cheese. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the Parmigiano, tossing continuously. Add more pasta water a little at a time until a silky sauce coats the pasta. Taste and adjust the salt if needed.
- Serve. Divide among bowls and finish with more Parmigiano and a generous sprinkle of anchovy breadcrumbs.
