45 minutes
A hearty pasta dish combining spicy sausage, tender broccoli, and creamy ricotta cheese.
Garlic Clove, very thinly sliced
each
as needed
Italian Sausage, bulk or casings removed
0 lb
to taste
to taste
0 oz
Broccoli, stems trimmed, peeled, sliced into ¼-inch coins, tops cut into florets
0 lb
teaspoons
Whipped Ricotta
cups
Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
0 oz
Dried Breadcrumbs, optional for garnish
cups
1. Garlic Infusion
Submerge the thinly sliced garlic in a bowl with enough olive oil to cover. Set aside.
2. Sausage Shaping
Form the sausage meat into 4 equal-sized balls and then flatten them to form patties.
3. Pasta Boiling
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the rigatoni until just under al dente, following the package directions.
4. Pattie Browning
Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage patties, seasoning with salt and pepper, and brown for about 4 minutes on one side.
5. Broccoli and Garlic Saute
Add the broccoli stems and the garlic with its oil to the skillet. Flip the sausage patties, and cook until the sausage is nearly done, breaking it into chunks as it cooks.
6. Flavor Enhancement
Stir in the chile flakes and cook for a brief 30 seconds. Then, add 1/4 cup of the pasta's cooking water to the skillet to halt the cooking. Remove from heat.
7. Broccoli Floret Cooking
A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water. Cook until tender.
8. Combining
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta and broccoli. Transfer the drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet with the sausage.
9. Creamy Emulsion
Over medium heat, blend in 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, whipped ricotta, and half of the Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until the sauce coats the pasta beautifully.
10. Serving
Dish out the pasta and sprinkle each serving with additional Parmigiano and breadcrumbs if desired.
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