Cavatelli with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Cavatelli with sausage and broccoli rabe is a delicious dish from Italian cuisine, particularly from the Apulian tradition. Here’s a recipe to prepare them:

Ingredients

• 400 g of fresh cavatelli
• 300 g of broccoli rabe
• 200 g of sausage
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Hot red chili pepper (to taste)
• Extra virgin olive oil (as needed)
• Salt (as needed)
• Grated pecorino cheese (to taste)

Preparation

1. Clean the broccoli rabe by removing the outer leaves and the more woody parts. Wash the rabe thoroughly in cold water and let it drain.
2. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the broccoli rabe until it is tender, about 5-7 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, brown the garlic cloves with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and the chili pepper. Remove the garlic as soon as it becomes golden.
4. Remove the skin from the sausage and crumble it with the help of a fork, then add it to the pan and sauté until it becomes crispy.
5. Once the broccoli rabe is cooked, lift it out of the water with a slotted spoon and transfer it directly to the pan with the sausage, allowing the flavors to blend.
6. In the same water used for the rabe, cook the cavatelli according to the cooking time indicated on the package. Once cooked, drain them and add them to the pan with the sausage and rabe.
7. Mix well so that the pasta takes on the flavor of the seasoning.
8. Dish up and, if liked, sprinkle with grated pecorino cheese.

Curiosity

Cavatelli are a typical fresh pasta very popular in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia and Molise. They are known for their characteristic shape which resembles little shells, perfect for scooping up the sauce they are seasoned with. This dish is full of contrasts: the sweetness of fresh pasta pairs well with the slight bitterness of the broccoli rabe and the strong flavor of the sausage.