Italian Comfort in a Bowl: Luganica Sausage & Rapini Orecchiette

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Sweet Italian Sausage - NO Fennel (Luganica Style), casing removed
• 1 bunch Rapini, chopped
• 1 lb Orecchiette Pasta
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.     Take a large-sized pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta following the package guidelines until al dente. Add the rapini to the boiling water in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain the pasta and rapini, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
2.     In the meantime, heat a large-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook; split it with a spoon until it gets browned and fully cooked.
3.     Put the garlic into the skillet and cook it until it becomes fragrant. Add the prepared pasta and rapini to the skillet and the reserved pasta water, and stir to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce gets thick.
4.     Once removed from heat, add parmesan cheese and stir. Then, season the dish using salt and Pepper.
5.     Serve the pasta with extra parmesan cheese, if desired.