Spicy Sausage Orecchiette
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Orecchiette cooked al dente tossed with spicy Italian sausage browned with garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Fresh tomatoes simmer down until their moisture is gone. A splash of robust red wine deglazes the pan, lifting browned bits. Rapinis added to soften but keep bite. Parmigiano Reggiano folded in last for salty punch. A balance of heat, tang, bitterness, and umami walking a tightrope. No fancy prep needed; rely on sensory signals more than timing. Adapt with kale or broccoli rabe substitutes for rapinis. Use sweet sausage if heat’s too much. Leftover pasta? Quick reheat in pan with splash of wine or stock.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
22 min
Total:
34 min
Servings:
4 servings
#Italian
#pasta
#sausage
#spicy
#rapinis
#quick meal
Spicy sausage plus orecchiette is a classic combo with rapinis throwing in bitter green contrast—a combination I’ve tweaked over years. Saw that folks often skip degreasing sausage or overcook greens. Worse, pasta turns mushy or the sauce too watery. I learned to rely on feel not clock: sausage browns till crackling edges; tomatoes reduced so sauce hugs every shape of orecchiette; rapinis tender but not limp. The red wine splash after tomato reduction keeps sauce lively and accentuates deep flavors. Garlic and pepper flakes provide a subtle zing beneath the bold meatiness that’s crucial. Rapinis can be swapped with broccolini or even kale if you like—just avoid oversteaming to keep bite. Parmigiano finishes the dish with a salty umami lift but add last to keep it vibrant. Leftovers? Warm gently with a little broth or more wine—never microwave otherwise things flatten.
Ingredients
- 400 g orecchiette pasta
- 350 g spicy Italian sausage meat, crumbled (3 sausages)
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 3 ml crushed red pepper flakes
- 45 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 4 medium Italian plum tomatoes, diced
- 200 ml dry red wine
- 1 bunch rapinis, trimmed and cut into 2.5 cm pieces
- 200 ml finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
About the ingredients
Ingredient quantities slightly adjusted from typical volumes for balance and to prevent dominant flavors drowning others. Sausage moved down from 375 g to 350 g to avoid excessive grease; orecchiette raised marginally for better pasta-to-sauce ratio. Crushed red pepper flakes reduced by a third from half teaspoon to 3 ml—heat should linger but not burn out the palate, adaptable to taste. Replaced standard plum tomatoes with fresh Roma or San Marzano for less watery flesh—watery tomatoes ruin texture. Wine quantity trimmed slightly to 200 ml to avoid overpowering acidity. For substitutions: kale or broccoli rabe works well if you can’t find rapinis—just keep cooking time tight to preserve integrity. Parmigiano reduced a bit to keep sauce creamy but not cloying. Olive oil used at 45 ml for sauté without excess greasiness.
Method
- Fill a large pot with water, salt it heavily; boil pasta until just shy of al dente — firm but not raw. Drain but don’t rinse; saved bit of starch helps sauce cling. Drizzle with olive oil and toss lightly so pieces don’t stick; set aside, cover loosely.
- Heat oil in big, heavy skillet over medium-high. Toss in crumbled sausage, break apart with wooden spoon. Browning meat fully, getting the tiny crispy bits—those brown bits carry flavor. Garlic and red pepper go in at halfway point. Stir, smell aroma kick in.
- Add diced tomatoes once meat’s browned and liquid has evaporated — chunky sauce starting — cook until tomatoes nearly collapse and excess liquid is gone. Watch carefully. The sound changes from bubbling watery to thicker, quieter simmer.
- Pour in red wine. Listen for sizzle—the pan deglazes as wine lifts caramelized bits stuck on bottom. Stir rapinis in now. They wilt fast but hold slight crunch when done just right. Cover and lower heat a tad to let greens soften gently, about 5-7 minutes. Taste test, no mush.
- Mix in pasta, sprinkle Parmigiano evenly. Toss over low heat, just enough to melt cheese and marry all together. Adjust seasoning: salt? Pepper? Sometimes acidity is high—pinch sugar balances it. Serve immediately in warm shallow bowls.
Cooking tips
Steps reordered for efficient multitasking: starting with pasta boiling before meat browning cuts overall downtime. Emphasis on paying attention to textures and sounds—like liquid almost gone from tomatoes signaling ready for wine-deglaze stage. Breaking sausage finely ensures even cooking and flavor dispersal. Watch for sausage fat rendering sufficiently to avoid greasy final product. Adding garlic midway prevents burning yet builds aromatic base. Simmer rapinis under lid briefly for tender crispness; overcooked greens turn bitter or sodden. Combining pasta and cheese off heat avoids stringy or rubbery cheese. Final seasoning adjustments based on acidity and salt rather than strictly following measured salt. Practical tip: reserve some pasta water if sauce looks dry; helps bind and smooth. Avoid rinsing freshly cooked pasta if sauce clings matter—oil addition prevents sticky noodles. Leftovers reheat tips included to maintain texture.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Pasta not fully cooked—just before al dente. Texture matters; mushy kills the bite. Drain and toss immediately in olive oil, stops sticking, helps sauce cling silent starch stays.
- 💡 Brown sausage well. Small crumbles, wooden spoon best. Crispy edges hold flavor. Midway add garlic plus crushed red pepper flakes for aroma, avoid burning. Sauté medium-high heat. Fat renders slowly, watch carefully, no grease puddles.
- 💡 Tomatoes go in after all meat liquid evaporates. Cook down till thick sauce, not watery. Sound changes from bubbling to soft simmer, colors deepen. Use Roma or San Marzano for less watery flesh; watery tomatoes mean dull sauce.
- 💡 Wine splash melts browned bits stuck on pan bottom. Listen for sizzle then steam rises differently, pan looks shiny, no water gloss. Rapinis get tossed in next, cover, lower heat to soften but keep a bite. Overcooking ruins crisp balance.
- 💡 Cheese last, low heat. Parmigiano melts slowly, never add too early or it clumps. Adjust seasoning by tasting—salt, pepper, pinch sugar balances acidity. Reserve pasta water if sauce too dry—helps smooth out quickly. Leftovers reheat gentle with wine or broth.
Common questions
Can I swap rapinis?
Yes, kale or broccoli rabe work but need less cooking to avoid bitterness. Rapinis hold shape better. Cut greens uniformly. Cook time less with kale or broccolini to keep snap.
What if pasta gets mushy?
Boil pasta shy of al dente. Toss in olive oil right away, saves clumping. Reheating use pan with splash broth or wine, low heat prevents breakdown. Overcooked pasta mushes fast.
How to control heat?
Cut crushed red pepper flakes. Starts at 3 ml, adjust to taste before adding. Sweet Italian sausage option exists too. Heat lingers but doesn’t burn if balanced carefully.
Storage tips?
Cool quickly, fridge in airtight container. Reheat on stove not microwave—low heat, splash broth or wine helps keep texture. Leftover pasta loves gentle warming to avoid flattening or soggy mess.
