Dinner Tonight: Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Sausage and broccoli rabe seem like an odd pair, but they do really play well together. There's something about the slightly fatty and spicy kick of the Italian sausage interacting with the bitter greens. I've already done a fairly straightforward version, which I would happily make again. But I figured I'd branch out and see what else this inspired pair could do.
For help I turned to Martha Stewart. She rolls the sausage into little mini meatballs, adds a quick tomato sauce, then bakes everything until browned and bubbling. I don't make many baked pastas, but this one works. Even though there is melted cheese, it never feels heavy or greasy. But again, it's the interplay between the sausage that really makes this dish.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a freelance writer in Chicago. He is the co-founder of The Paupered Chef and spends most of his time playing with the new cooking gadgets he got from his wedding.
Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
- serves 2 to 3 -
Adapted from marthastewart.com
Ingredients
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 28-ounce can tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing
1/2 pound rigatoni
1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, tough stalk removed
2 ounces mozzarella
Butter, enough to rub casserole dish
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until very soft, about 5 minutes. Dump in the tomatoes and the oregano and thyme. Cook, breaking up the large pieces of tomato with a wooden spoon, for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Roughly chop the broccoli rabe. Add to the water and cook for about 1 minute. Remove with some tongs and drain in a colander. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
3. Return the large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until very al dente, about 3 minutes less than the package says. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
4. Form the Italian sausage into 1-inch balls. Saute them in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. There should be enough fat from the sausage, but if the meat sticks then add a drizzle of oil. Cook until browned on a all sides. Add to the tomato sauce.
5. Rub some butter on the inside of a casserole dish. Dump in the pasta and broccoli rabe. Pour on the sauce. Top with a sprinkling of the mozzarella. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling.
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3 Comments:
Broccoli rabe and sausage is my favorite combo in the whole world. In fact, paired with a little crushed red pepper, a light tomato sauce, and some rigatoni it is my favorite meal and would certainly be my final meal request.
twoojoe at 12:47AM on 02/21/09
"Sausage and broccoli rabe seem like an odd pair,"
No way. Sausage and broccoli rabe with orecchiette is classic. Boil some water, throw the rabe in until it's done. Use a slotted spoon or pan with removable collander to take it out of the water, bring it back to a boil and cook the pasta in the nice green water. Cook up the crumbled sausage, add a little oil if needed, put in some crushed garlic and a little red pepper flakes when it's almost done. Toss the cooked rabe with the sausagey goodness, mix in the pasta, and yummmmm..
ratbuddy at 12:06PM on 02/21/09
Sausage and broccoli rabe is one of those special combinatiions.
One of the most delicious .
VCD806 at 5:05PM on 02/21/09