Food: Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

This winter is challenging every ounce of hope New Englanders can muster. Here is an easy pasta that can provide at least a little comfort amidst the snow, ice dams, and general crankiness.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
(serves 2-4)
1 lb orecchiette pasta (or other small pasta), cooked and drained with 1 cup cooking water reserved
1 lemon, cut in half
1 package fully cooked Italian sausage (sweet or spicy), casings removed and insides chopped
1 bunch broccoli rabe, blanched and chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs, panko or Italian
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
olive oil

Boil water and drop pasta into a large pot, to cook while you heat the other ingredients. In a large sauté pan, sauté garlic with the sausage (the oil from the sausage will cook the garlic). Once sausage is warm and garlic is cooked, add the chopped broccoli rabe and sauté until hot. Squeeze 1 half of lemon on top, stir, cover, remove from heat and set aside.

Reserving 1 cup of cooking water, drain pasta and return to its pot on medium heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, stir. Add 1/2 cup of cooking liquid, juice from the other half of the lemon, and 1/2 cup of grated cheese, stir until you have a sauce coating the pasta. Add more of the cooking liquid if necessary, or discard the rest. Add sausage and broccoli mixture, stir to combine. Serve topped with breadcrumbs and more parmesan cheese. Voila.