Sausage & Spigarello Orecchiette

Spigarello is an Italian heirloom variety of broccoli, similar to kale. It has a ‘meatier’ texture meaning that it doesn’t just disappear into complete mush when cooked and rather acts as a vessel in soaking up all the saucey sausagey goodness of this orecchiette.

Like most brassica vegetables, it’s an excellent source of vitamin A, C, E and K which are crucial in wound healing and overall skin health. It’s also rich in minerals calcium and potassium which assist in the formation of strong bones and skeletal muscle tissue.

To cut through the fattiness of the sausage meat, I like to add a little lift of acidity in the form of white wine, tomato passata, loads of lemon and just a little Calabrian chilli for kick.

If you can’t find yourself a spigarello, it’s all good because kale or cavolo nero works just as well here. Serve it straight out of the pan and finish with ample gratings of parmigiano reggiano plus some good quality extra virgin olive oil. Prego!

Lunch

Dinner

Quick Sticks

Serves 4

Prep Time 5 Mins

Cook Time 35 Mins

Method

1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage meat. Brown well and break apart the meat using a spatular.
3
Next, ddd in the garlic, Calabrian chilli, tomato passata and cook for about a minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and ‘cook off’ the alcohol for a further minute. Add the prepared spigarello and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes or until the greens are tender and the sauce has thickened.
4
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water before draining.
5
Add the pasta and reserved pasta water into the pan and toss together over a medium heat until the sauce is glossy and thick. Finally, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan and season with some freshly cracked black pepper and salt to taste.
6
Serve the pasta amongst bowls and finish with some extra parmesan and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.