Orecchiette with Sausage & Chard

This is a variation of one of my favorite Italian restaurant dishes, orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. It was fast to prepare and really full-flavored- incorporating anchovies, freshly ground fennel seeds, and lots of garlic. Great.

This recipe was adapted from 177milkstreet.com, contributed by Jeanne Maguire. I substituted jarred fire-roasted red peppers and brine for Peppadew peppers. I used a combination of sweet and hot Italian sausage as well.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 12 ounces orecchiette pasta
• coarse salt
• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound (about 6) sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed (I used 2/3 sweet (4) and 1/3 hot sausage (2))
• 3 anchovy fillets, minced
• 2 tsp fennel seeds, ground
• 1/4 cup finely chopped mild Peppadew peppers or fire-roasted red peppers, plus 1 T brine (I used Trader Joe’s)
• 8 to 10 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 pound Swiss chard, stems and leaves separated
• 3/4 cup chicken broth or stock, divided
• 3 T freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

1. Remove the stems from the chard leaves and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Soak in a bowl of water, drain, and set aside.
2. Cut the leaves into 3-inch wide ribbons; wash and drain. Set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
4. Drain, return to the pot and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil. Set aside.
5. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch skillet (with a lid available) over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. (I used a large enameled cast iron pan.)
6. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small chunks, until well browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but 1 T of the drippings from the pan.
7. Add the anchovies, ground fennel seed, and peppers to the skillet and cook over medium, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
8. Stir in the garlic and chard stems, then cook until the garlic is aromatic, about 30 seconds.
9. Add 1/4 cup of the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until most of the liquid evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Stir in the chard leaves and the remaining 1/2 cup broth. Cover, reduce to medium-low and cook until the leaves are wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes.
11. Scrape the chard mixture into the pot with the pasta. (I added the pasta to the pot with the chard instead!)
12. Add the sausage and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir over medium-low until the pasta is heated through, about 1 minute.
13. Gradually stir in the Parmesan, then the Peppadew or roasted red pepper brine.
14. Taste and season with salt. Serve sprinkled with more Parmesan.

Pork Sausage & Broccoli in Hard-Cider Sauce

The hard-cider sauce caught my eye in this dish– it was FABULOUS!! I had received broccoli in my CSA share the day I found this recipe, so I made it right away. This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Jack Riebel. I used a giant Honey Crisp apple, rustic bread, and fresh Italian pork sausages. Hot sausages would be great too.

• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

• 1 chipotle chile in adobo, stemmed and seeded
• 2 Granny Smith or Honey Crisp apples, halved and cored, plus 1/2 apple cut into matchsticks, for garnish (optional)
• 2 ounces rye or rustic bread, crusts removed and bread torn into bite-size pieces (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup hard cider
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• Four 4-ounce smoked pork sausages, sweet or hot Italian pork sausages, or cheddar wursts
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound (or more) broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Bake the cored and halved apples cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet for 30 minutes, until tender. Let cool. Scoop the apple pulp into a food processor and discard the skins. Stem, seed and chop the chipotle; add it to the food processor and puree. Add additional adobo sauce to taste.
2. Meanwhile, spread the bread in a pie plate or baking sheet and bake the pieces for about 10 minutes, until golden.
3. In a saucepan, boil the hard cider with the vinegar, sugar and apple puree. Simmer, stirring, until reduced to 3/4 cup, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt.
4. Light a grill or broiler. Cook the sausages, turning, until lightly charred on both sides and cooked through, 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
5. In a skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the broccoli and season with salt. Cover and cook until browned, 2 minutes. Stir in the mustard, caraway, cider sauce and 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, season with salt. Serve the sausages with the broccoli and sauce, garnishing with the bread crumbs and apple matchsticks, if desired.