One-Pot Baked Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

So, this dish uses broccoli rabe instead of broccoli- but I’m still including it in my “series.” 🙂 This is a skillet version of one of my favorite classic Italian dishes. It was delightfully cheesy too.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, contributed by Claire Saffitz. I used large garlic cloves and decreased the broiling time to 2 minutes. We ate it with a large green salad. Absolutely delicious!!

Yield: Serves 6

• coarse salt
• 12 ounces Fontina and/or aged cheddar cheese (about 4 1/2 cups), divided
• 6 large garlic cloves
• 2 large sprigs sage
• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 pound ridged medium pasta shells, or large tube pasta, such as lumaconi or rigatoni

1. Place racks in center and upper third of oven; preheat to 325, preferably on convection.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, for the pasta. Salt generously.
3. Grate the Fontina cheese on the large holds of a box grater (you should have about 4½ cups).
4. Smash the garlic cloves, peel, and coarsely chop.
5. Pick all sage leaves from stems and set aside about 10. Finely chop remaining leaves (you should have about 1 tablespoon).
6. Trim tough dried ends from the broccoli rabe, then cut stems into 2″ pieces. Leave leafy ends long.
7. Heat a deep, large, ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Add ¼ cup oil and swirl to coat.
8. Remove sausage from casings and add to skillet. Break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, undisturbed, until sausage is browned, about 4 minutes. Stir a couple of times and continue to cook, undisturbed again, until sausage is fully cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
9. Add garlic, chopped sage, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes.
10. Stir in half-and-half and simmer until sauce is thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
11. Gradually add about two-thirds of cheese, bit by bit, stirring constantly and letting cheese melt completely before adding more, until sauce is smooth and thick, about 3 minutes; season with salt and remove from heat.
12. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water 2 minutes shy of package instructions (8–10 minutes depending on type).
13. During the last 2 minutes, add all of broccoli rabe to pot with pasta. Drain in a colander and shake several times to remove excess water. Return pasta and broccoli rabe to empty pasta pot.
14. Add cheesy sausage mixture from skillet to pot with pasta. Stir until pasta and broccoli rabe are coated in sauce, then transfer everything back to skillet.
15. Cover skillet tightly with foil and bake on center rack until pasta is tender and sauce is bubbling, 30–40 minutes. Let rest a few minutes while you heat broiler.
16. Remove foil and top with remaining cheese.
17. Toss sage leaves with remaining 1 T oil in a small bowl and arrange over pasta.
18. Broil until cheese is browned and bubbling in spots, about 2 to 5 minutes (depending on strength of broiler).
19. Let pasta cool a minute or two before serving.

One Year Ago: 

• Birthday Lasagna

Two Years Ago:

• Pancetta, White Bean, & Queso Fresco Empanadas
• Chicken & Corn Empanadas

Four Years Ago:

• Baked Pasta with Spinach, Chicken Sausage, & Vodka Sauce
• Classic Mozzarella Grandma Pizza Pie

Five Years Ago:

• Speedy Baked Ziti
• Chicken & Kale Casserole

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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