"Little Ears" Pasta

🥘 Ingredients

• baby broccoli
  12 oz
• chili flakes (to taste)
  1 tsp
• olive oil
  4 tsp
• orecchiette pasta
  12 oz
• parmesan cheese
  ½ cup
• pepper
• pesto
  4 oz
• salt
• sweet italian pork sausage
  18 oz
• water

🍳 Cookware

• large pot
• strainer
• large pan

1. 

   1

   Wash and dry all produce. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt . Trim woody bottom ends from baby broccoli , then cut stalks and florets into 1-inch pieces. Remove sweet italian pork sausage from casings.

   water, salt, baby broccoli: 12 oz, sweet italian pork sausage: 18 oz
2. 

   2

   Once water is boiling, add orecchiette pasta to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, ⏱️ 9 minutes to ⏱️ 11 minutes . Carefully scoop out and reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water, then drain with strainer .

   orecchiette pasta: 12 oz
3. 

   3

   Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add baby broccoli and 2 tsp water. Cover and steam ⏱️ 3 minutes . Uncover and increase heat to medium high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, ⏱️ 3 minutes to ⏱️ 6 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper . Remove from pan and set aside.

   olive oil: 4 tsp, pepper
4. 

   4

   Heat another drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking up meat into pieces. Cook until crisp at edges and no longer pink, ⏱️ 4 minutes to ⏱️ 5 minutes . Add a pinch of chili flakes and cook another ⏱️ 30 seconds .

   chili flakes: 1 tsp (to taste)
5. 

   5

   Add orecchiette, baby broccoli, pesto , pasta cooking water, and half the parmesan cheese to pan. Toss until everything is well-coated and a thick sauce has formed, ⏱️ 1 minutes to ⏱️ 2 minutes . Season with salt and pepper.

   pesto: 4 oz, parmesan cheese: ½ cup
6. 

   6

   Divide orecchiette mixture between plates. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and serve.