Puglia
Cavatelli, sausage and rabe
Cavatelli with Italian sausage and broccoli rabe was always a staple in our house growing up, the perfect dish to feed an army.
Makes
4
Level
Medium with a grown-up
Kids cook with a grown-up. Hot ovens, boiling water and frying are grown-up jobs, and sharp knives need a grown-up’s hands too.
Ingredients
Cavatelli: 1 pound
Italian sausage, casings removed: 1 pound
Broccoli rabe: 1 large bunch, washed and chopped
Garlic: 5 cloves, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil: 1/4 cup
Calabrian chilies from a jar: 1 tablespoon, chopped
Lemon: 1, half for juice and half cut in wedges
Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano: 1/2 cup, grated
Salt: for the pasta water, about 2 tablespoons
Method
Bring a big pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
Take the sausage out of its casings into a bowl and break it up with your hands.
Wash the broccoli rabe, dry it in a towel and chop it into bite-size pieces.
Brown the sausage in a wide pan over medium-high heat until it is cooked through and reaches 160°F. Move it to a bowl.
Add the olive oil, garlic and chilies to the same pan. Cook for 1 minute, until the garlic smells sweet and is just turning gold.
Add the broccoli rabe and a pinch of salt. Cook, tossing, until it wilts and turns tender, about 5 minutes.
Boil the cavatelli until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Lift it into the pan with a strainer, keeping a little pasta water.
Return the sausage to the pan and toss everything together, adding a splash of pasta water if it looks dry.
Pile the pasta in a shallow bowl. Squeeze lemon over the top, add the grated cheese and set a lemon wedge on each side.
