Recipe: Pasta shells with broccoli rabe and Italian sausage

Ingredients

1 pound sweet Italian pork sausages
1/3 cup olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
28 0z. can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound dried orecchiette pasta (Note: We used regular shells)
2 bunches broccoli rabe (2 to 2/12 pounds total)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick the sausages with a fork and place them on a sheet pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through. Slice 1/2 inch thick and set aside.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sausage slices and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pieces are browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the red wine, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and let the mixture simmer while you prepare the pasta and broccoli.

Bring a very large pot half filled with water to a boil and add 1 Tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 9 minutes exactly. While the pasta is cooking, trim the broccoli rabe to just below the leaves and discard the stems. Cut the leafy part of the broccoli rabe crosswise in 2 inch pieces. When the pasta has cooked for 9 minutes, add the broccoli rabe to the pasta and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is crisp- tender. Drain in a large colander, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and add the pasta and broccoli to the pot with the tomato and sausage mixture. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon salt. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking liquid. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot with extra Parmesan on the side. Serves 6