This Italian Sausage and Broccoli Pasta is full of flavor with sausage, garlic, Parmesan, and a delicious, light sauce that brings the dish together. Everyone loves it at our house, broccoli and all, and I love that it is a quick and easy meal on the table in less than 30 minutes!
What we love about this Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
This is one of my go-to meals when I’m not sure what to make for dinner. From start to finish it is on the table in 30 minutes and is a perfect weekday meal for those busy nights.
This pasta packs in the flavor with sausage, garlic, and Parmesan. It’s almost a meal in itself with veggies, pasta, and sausage and it comes together so quickly and easily. After a quick chop of the broccoli and garlic, the sausage and broccoli cook while the pasta is cooking. The sausage and broccoli get infused with more flavor with olive oil, garlic, chicken broth, and a touch of cream. Put it all together with buttered pasta and Parmesan and it is DELISH! We all love the flavor and I love that my kids are eating their broccoli!
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What you need to make this Sausage Broccoli Pasta
You will need the following ingredients:
- Orecchiette pasta
- Butter
- Olive oil
- Mild Italian sausage
- Garlic
- Dried oregano
- Broccoli
- Chicken broth
- Salt
- Pepper
- Whipping Cream
- Parmesan cheese
Broccoli and Italian Sausage Pasta Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You could substitute hot Italian sausage for the mild or add red pepper flakes to add a little heat.
- Pecorino romano cheese could be a substitute for Parmesan cheese.
- You could substitute different vegetables for the broccoli like cauliflower or Kale or add additional vegetables like mushrooms, peas, or spinach.
- You could use reserved pasta water in place of the chicken broth.
- You could use milk instead of cream or add more chicken broth to replace the cream.
- You could add whatever medium-sized pasta you have on hand. I also often make this with farfalle pasta.
- You could substitute gluten-free pasta if needed, I like the Barilla brand.
- This dish is often made with broccoli rabe, which could be substituted for regular broccoli as well.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter.
Step 2. While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet, cook and crumble the Italian sausage in 2 tablespoons of oil until no longer pink. Add garlic and oregano and cook for one minute.
Step 3. Add broccoli, chicken broth, remaining oil, salt and pepper. Cook until broccoli is crisp-tender, then add the cream.
Step 4. Add the sausage mixture to the pasta. Stir in Parmesan cheese and taste for seasonings. Serve immediately and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese.
Tips
- We use mild or sweet Italian sausage when we make this dish. If you would like to add a little heat, use hot Italian sausage, or half of each. You can also add red chili flakes if desired.
- Using freshly grated Parmesan cheese makes a huge difference in the flavor of this dish. I love my microplane zester/grater that makes grating Parmesan cheese a breeze. I use it all of the time for citrus zest and grating fresh Parmesan. It’s super sharp so the cheese grates quickly and easily.
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Frequently Asked Questions
| Can the Italian Sausage and Broccoli Pasta be made in advance? |
| Pasta can be cooked 48 hours before serving and stored in an airtight container. Sausage can also be cooked separately in advance and kept for 3-4 days in the fridge. While sausage and broccoli pasta reheats very well, serve it the day you cook it for the best quality. The texture of the broccoli is best on the first day. |
| How should I store and reheat the pasta? |
| To store the pasta, place the leftovers in a sealable container and use within 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months. The stovetop is the best method for reheating the pasta. Add a little extra oil or butter to the skillet and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until warm. You can also reheat in the microwave until warm, adding a little butter or oil to help coat the pasta and prevent the noodles from sticking together. |
| What to serve with Sausage Broccoli Pasta? |
| I love that this dish is almost a meal within itself. We usually add a side of fruit, a side salad, garlic bread, or an additional roasted vegetable. |
Italian Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
4-6
servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesThis Italian Sausage and Broccoli Pasta is full of flavor with sausage, garlic, Parmesan, and a delicious, light sauce that brings the dish together. Everyone loves it at our house, broccoli and all, and I love that it is a quick and easy meal on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Ingredients
1 pound orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound Italian mild or hot sausage, casings removed
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
½ teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups chopped broccoli (about two crowns broccoli)
¾ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup shredded Parmesan
Directions
- In a large pot, bring 4-6 quarts of salted water to a boil and prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pan off the heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage in 2 tablespoons oil, breaking the sausage apart with a wooden spoon or spatula until crumbled and browned about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and oregano, stirring garlic and cooking for an additional minute.
- Add broccoli, chicken broth, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, salt, and pepper to the sausage mixture. Cook, occasionally stirring, until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the cream and warm for an additional minute or two.
- Transfer the broccoli sausage mixture to the large pot with the pasta and stir, adding ½ cup shredded Parmesan. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve immediately, using the extra ¼ cup Parmesan to garnish each plate with additional Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- The olive oil in this dish is used for flavor and for cooking. It cooks with the garlic and absorbs the savory flavor of the garlic and sausage. It is intentionally a light sauce to compliment the sausage, flavor the broccoli, and coat the pasta. I add just ¼ cup of cream to enhance the flavor and slightly thicken the sauce at the end. If you want a thicker, creamier sauce for this dish, you can add additional cream and cheese.
- The olive oil in this dish is used for flavor and for cooking. It cooks with the garlic and absorbs the savory flavor of the garlic and sausage. It is intentionally a light sauce to compliment the sausage, flavor the broccoli, and coat the pasta. I add just ¼ cup of cream to enhance the flavor and slightly thicken the sauce at the end. If you want a thicker, creamier sauce for this dish, you can add additional cream and cheese.
- I have used reserved pasta water in place of the broth at times, but we prefer the flavor with the chicken broth.
I saw the picture pop up on my feed and said I have to make this. It was so good and the instructions made it easy. There was no way I was messing this up. It was a hit with my family, we all LOVED it.
I am so happy to hear that you made it and that your family loved it! I don’t think I could count how often we have made this. It’s a definite go-to at our house and a dish everyone loves. Thanks for the great review!
I love how easy and family-friendly this recipe is! Perfect for busy days. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much! This recipe is a huge go-to for us on busy days and I love how the broccoli helps make this almost a complete meal. Thank you for the great review!