Recipe for an easy weeknight pasta with broccoli, Italian sausage, and lemon breadcrumbs. The perfect pasta dish the whole family will love.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time10 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4people
Author: Caitlin Charlton
Ingredients
1lbItalian sausage, such as Neto's sausage (casing removed)
½medium yellow onion, diced
Kosher salt
2garlic cloves, minced
¼teaspoonred pepper flakes
3tablespoonlemon juice
3cupsbroccoli florets, cut into bit sized pieces
1lbpasta, such as Gigli from Santa Cruz Pasta Factory
¼cupfreshly grated parmesan cheese
1tablespoonolive oil
1cuppanko breadcrumbs
1tablespoonlemon zest
Instructions
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Heat a large skillet (preferably non-stick) on medium heat. Add the sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it up. Cook, stirring occassionally, until slightly brown on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, about 5-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Carefully remove excess grease from the pan, leaving a little behind.
To the same pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally and cook until the onions are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Add the lemon juice and scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Return the sausage to the pan.
Meanwhile, add the broccoli florets to the boiling water. Boil until the broccoli is just tender, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider to transfer the cooked broccoli directly from the water to the pan with the sausage.
Add the pasta to the remaining boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the sausage and broccoli mixture.
Add the parmesan cheese to the pasta. Stir, adding a few tablespoons of reserved pasta water at a time, until you reach a silky texture.
To make the lemon breadcrumbs, heat the olive oil on medium heat in a small pan. Add the breadcrumbs and stir frequently until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest.
Serve the pasta immediately with lemon breadcrumbs on top.
Notes
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