Pasta with Sausage & Rapini

Sausage and rapini are a classic combo, matching salty meat with assertive dark greens. Toss them simply with pasta, add a lot of cheese and a little chile, and let the bold flavors shine.

What You Get

Conchiglie pasta

Rapini

Green garlic

Sweet Italian sausage

Grated Parmesan cheese

What You’ll Need

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Chile flakes (optional)

Makes 3 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes 

Total Time: 25 minutes 

Step 1

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Set the pasta by the stove, but wait to add it (it cooks quickly).

Step 2

Rinse and thinly slice the rapini, discarding any woody stems. Slice the white part of the green garlic, reserving the green top for another use (you should have about 1 tablespoon chopped).

Step 3

In a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the sausage to the pan as one large, flat patty and fry until golden, flipping once, about 4 minutes per side. Break it up into coarse chunks with a spoon. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Step 4

Return the pan to medium-low heat, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the green garlic and stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the rapini and sauté until dark green and tender, 4 minutes. Fold the sausage back in. Turn down the heat to low.

Step 5

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 3 minutes or 1 minute less than the package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the water. Add the pasta to the sausage and rapini, along with the ½ cup reserved pasta water and ¼ cup of the cheese. Toss over low heat until a sauce forms and cloaks the pasta, 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  

Step 6

Heap the pasta on plates, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and sprinkle with some of the remaining cheese. Grind with pepper, sprinkle with chile flakes, if you want some heat, and serve warm.  

Contains: milk, wheat.