Rigatoni Salsiccia e Rapini (Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pasta)

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.

Rigatoni Salsiccia e Rapini…an easy to make Italian pasta recipe with sausage and broccoli rabe that is perfect for busy weeknight dinners, and elegant enough for a special occasion.

When we think of October, we usually think of pumpkins and apple picking.

But October is actually also Italian-American heritage month, celebrating the 5.4 million Italians that immigrated to the United States between 1820 and 1992. Today Americans of Italian descent in the United States are the fifth largest ethnic group — over 26 million strong.

My family is part of that group. My husband is half Italian, which makes our children part Italian as well. My mother-in-law is a first generation Italian-American, and she lives right next door to us. She’s also a fabulous cook, so our children have grown up with a real appreciation for Italian food.

I’ve been lucky enough to learn how to make some of their family recipes passed down through the generations.

But today I’m celebrating the Italian-American heritage month by sharing a recipe with you that I know you are going to love! This Rigatoni Salsiccia e Rapini recipe comes from Victor Rallo, Jr, restauranteur and Host of PBS’s “Eat Drink Italy.” It’s packed with flavor, but easy to make, and perfect for busy weeknights. With the right ingredients, you can turn out a restaurant quality meal…and you don’t need to be a culinary expert to do it!

I myself tend to stick with simple recipes with an emphasis on quality ingredients. Our schedule is crazy during the week, and I’d rather spend time with my family around the dinner table, rather than in the kitchen. This Italian recipe was right up my alley!

Pasta is one of our go-to meals, because it’s quick and easy, and is great when you’re cooking for a crowd. With all the fall sports’ pasta dinners before games and meets, we’ve cooked for as many as 30 kids a couple of nights!

 

Let’s get cooking now!

Rigatoni Salsiccia e Rapini

When putting together a recipe that comes together so quickly, it’s best to either have everything prepped and ready to go ahead of time, or you need to make sure you have time to do your prepping, or in this case, chopping, while completing the first couple steps of the recipe. I did my chopping ahead of time.

 

To start off, get your pasta going. You’ll want to follow the package directions for al dente. Make sure when you drain your pasta to reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, as you will need this to finish your Rigatoni Salsiccia e Rapini.

While your pasta is cooking, start browning your sausage. That should take 4-5 minutes, and then you’ll remove it from the skillet and let it drain on a paper-towel lined dish.

Now you’re going to boil some more water to cook the florets from the broccoli rabe. Drop them into the boiling water for 1-2 minutes with 2 tablespoons of salt. Transfer the florets to a bowl of ice water, and as soon as the ice melts, drain, and set them aside.

Going back to the skillet, heat a little more olive oil, and then add your crushed garlic, and sauté until golden brown. Do not let your garlic burn…burnt garlic is very bitter and has an unpleasant taste. Add your chili flakes, sausage, broccoli rabe and tomatoes to the garlic, and stir well to mix while cooking for a couple of minutes.

Now you’re ready to add the pasta to the skillet, along with the parmesan cheese, half of the reserved pasta water, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss for a couple of minutes to coat the pasta. If the mixture seems a little dry, you can add more of the pasta water.

That’s it…dinner is served!

Rigatoni Salsiccia e Rapini was a big hit in our house…everyone loved it!