Orecchiette with broccoli rabe is a traditional Italian pasta recipe from Apulia that combines sautéed broccoli rabe with delicious ear-shaped orecchiette pasta.
You’ll love this recipe because it’s easy, comforting, and nutritious. Plus, we’ll show you how to transform it into a satiating high-protein vegetarian meal by adding plant-based sausage.
Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe is an excellent family dinner that will satiate your most indulgent Italian food cravings while eating plenty of nourishing leafy greens.
Table of Contents
- What are Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe?
- Orecchiette with broccoli rabe video
- Ingredients & Substitutions for Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
- How to Make Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe
- Serving Suggestions
- Tips
- Storage & Make Ahead
- More Broccoli Recipes
- More Veggie-Packed Pasta Recipes
- More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe Recipe
Dietary Note: this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian and vegan diet.
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What are Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe?
Orecchiette, translated as small ears in Italian, is an ear-shaped pasta from the southern Italian regions of Puglia and Basilicata.
Like most other Italian dry pasta types, orecchiette is suitable for a vegetarian and vegan diet as they are made with durum wheat flour, water, and without eggs.
This orecchiette with broccoli rabe recipe will remind you of our Broccoli pasta and Kale pasta, two creamy, flavor-packed pasta dishes you guys loved!
Like many of our other pasta recipes, this, too, will help you eat more veggies in a delicious, comforting, and simple way.
Think of our cherry tomato pasta, tagliatelle with lentil bolognese, pasta e fagioli, hummus pasta, and pasta alla Norma. They are all delicious, wholesome and easy-to-make pasta dishes suitable for a hungry family.
The broccoli rabe in this recipe, also known as rapini or cime di rapa in Italian, is a nutritious leafy green vegetable whose flavor will remind you of sautéed kale and broccoli.
Here, we sauté rapini in olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to soften its texture, remove the bitterness, and transform it into a delicious pasta sauce.
We’ll also show you how to add plant-based sausage to boost the protein content of this dish, turning it into a tasty, complete, and satisfying meal with the perfect balance of texture and taste.
Orecchiette with broccoli rabe video
Ingredients & Substitutions for Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Orecchiette Pasta
You can find orecchiette in most supermarkets in dried form.
They are made with durum wheat flour, water, and without eggs, and like most types of dry Italian pasta, are suitable for a vegetarian and vegan diet.
Substitute fusilli, rotini, trofie, conchiglie, farfalle, and rigatoni for orecchiette.
Broccoli Rabe
You can use fresh or frozen broccoli rabe or rapini.
Substitute broccoli florets for broccoli rabe. In this case, I’d recommend checking out our broccoli pasta recipe.
Extra virgin olive oil
We use extra virgin olive oil to cook the broccoli rabe and make the pasta sauce.
Substitute regular olive oil for extra virgin.
Red chili peppers
Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe is mildly spicy.
You can use a finely chopped fresh red chili pepper for spiciness.
Substitute red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for the fresh chili pepper.
Garlic
Fresh garlic. Crush it for a mild garlic flavor. Mince, grate, or press it for a more pronounced garlic flavor.
Salt & Black pepper
We recommend sea salt or kosher salt for the sauce and pasta water. Black pepper is to add character to the plant-based sausage.
Plant-Based Sausage
The traditional Italian orecchiette recipe with broccoli rabe adds anchovies for a rich, savory flavor.
We prefer to add sausage to increase the protein content of this pasta dish and turn it into a main meal.
We use plant-based sausage that we find in our local supermarkets. This way, we keep the saturated fats in check while adding nutritious plant-based protein.
Italian breadcrumbs
Apulia was a poor region where people couldn’t afford parmesan cheese imported from northern Italy until modern days.
The locals relied on breadcrumbs toasted in extra virgin olive oil (abundant in the region) and garlic to sprinkle on pasta.
We think that’s a delicious way of adding flavor and crunch while keeping the recipe dairy-free, so we recommend it.
Substitute grated parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano, or vegan parmesan cheese for the breadcrumbs.
Lemon juice (optional)
Lemon juice is optional. A squeeze on top is welcomed to add some freshness, but know that this is not common in the original Italian recipe.
How to Make Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe
US cups + grams measurements in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.
Clean the broccoli rabe
Note: Skip this step if your broccoli rabe is already washed and ready to use or frozen.
Trim and discard the thicker stems of the broccoli rabe.
Rinse the leaves and florets with water to remove dirt and chop them into smaller pieces.
Sauté the broccoli rabe
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Add peeled and crushed garlic and a finely chopped red chili pepper.
Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the broccoli rabe. You might have to do that in batches if your pan is not large enough.
Season with salt, add 1/2 cup of water, cover with a lid, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the broccoli rabe is tender.
Boil the pasta
While the broccoli rabe cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the salt, then the pasta.
Boil uncovered as per package instruction minus one minute.
Prep sausage & breadcrumbs
Note: Plant-based sausage requires cooking separately because it gets soggy if cooked with vegetables.
To a non-stick pan, add a drizzle of olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic.
Peel the plant-based sausage, then break it into small bite-sized pieces.
Add it to the pan, season with black pepper to taste, and sauté on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until browned outside. Set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil and a clove of crushed garlic.
Add the breadcrumbs and sauté on medium-low heat for two minutes or until golden. Stir the bread crumbs mixture often with a wooden spoon.
Tip: You can skip this step by substituting grated parmesan or vegan cheese for the breadcrumbs.
Toss the pasta with the veggies
Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, drain the orecchiette and add them to the broccoli rabe.
Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta cooking water and finish cooking on medium heat while stirring for about a minute or until there’s no more water in the pan.
You can add more extra virgin olive oil if you wish.
Serving Suggestions
Taste and adjust for salt before serving.
Make it a complete and nourishing meal by topping it with plant-based sausage and toasted breadcrumbs.
Optionally, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Tips
How to work with plant-based sausage?
We tested this with several brands of plant-based sausage, and they all worked beautifully, but with one catch: for best results, cook the sausage separately from the veggies.
When cooking the sausage in the same pan with the broccoli rabe, the sausage absorbed the cooking water and was too soggy for our taste.
Cooking it separately with olive oil, garlic, and black pepper makes it crisp and gives it a meatier bite.
How to cook pasta?
You’ll need a large pot of salted water as follows:
- 8 ounces of pasta (230 grams): cook pasta in 2 quarts of boiling water (8 cups or 2 Liters) with 1 tablespoon of salt (15 grams). Serves 2 – 3 people.
- 12 ounces of pasta (340 grams): cook pasta in 3 quarts of boiling water (12 cups or 3 Liters) with 1 ½ tablespoons of salt (21 grams). Serves 4 people.
- 1 pound of pasta (450 grams): cook pasta in 1 gallon of boiling water (16 cups or 4 Liters) with 2 tablespoons of salt (30 grams). Serves 5-6 people.
Storage & Make Ahead
Make ahead: Like most pasta dishes, this recipe is not the best for meal prep. We save leftovers for the day after, but we wouldn’t cook this for meal prep as pasta is best shortly after it is cooked.
Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 36 hours.
Freezer: We don’t recommend freezing orecchiette with broccoli rabe.
Reheat: Reheat in the microwave or on a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil.
More Broccoli Recipes
Or check out our roundup with delicious and easy broccoli recipes.
More Veggie-Packed Pasta Recipes
Here are some more easy and delicious pasta recipes selected for you:
- Vegan mushroom pasta
- Pasta with lentils
- Pasta e ceci – pasta with chickpeas
- Creamy kale pasta
- Orzo salad
- Zucchini pasta
- Asparagus pasta
- Mushroom ragu
For even more pasta ideas, check out our 40+ pasta recipe collection.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Spaghetti aglio e olio
- Pesto pasta
- Pasta pomodoro
- Easy penne arrabbiata or rigatoni arrabbiata
- Mushroom Alfredo
- Lemon pasta
- Vegan pasta salad
- Roasted red pepper pasta
- Pasta puttanesca
For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.
Orecchiette With Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 fresh red chili or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
- 2 pounds broccoli rabe fresh or frozen.
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste.
- 12 ounces orecchiette pasta + 3 quarts/12 cups/3 Liters water and 1½ tablespoons/21 grams sea salt.
- 2 plant-based sausages 3.2oz/90 grams each + 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, and 2 twists of black pepper.
- ½ cup breadcrumbs + 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 clove of garlic.
Instructions
- Skip this step if your broccoli rabe is washed and ready to use or frozen.Trim the thicker stems of 2 pounds broccoli rabe.Rinse the leaves and florets and chop them into smaller pieces.
- Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet, add 2 cloves garlic (crushed) and 1 fresh red chili (finely chopped) and sauté for 1 minute.Add the broccoli rabe, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup water, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender.
- In the meantime, cook 12 ounces orecchiette pasta in a large pot with salted boiling water as per package instructions minus 1 minute.Then peel 2 plant-based sausages, break them into small bite-sized pieces and sauté them in a pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 clove crushed garlic for 5 minutes or until browned.Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, toast ½ cup breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 clove crushed garlic for two minutes, or until golden and crisp.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, drain the orecchiette, and add them to the broccoli rabe. Add ½ cup of reserve pasta water and finish cooking while tossing until the water is absorbed.You can add more extra virgin olive oil if you wish.
MAKE IT A MEAL
- Serve with plant-based sausage and toasted breadcrumbs on top.Optionally, add a squeeze of lemon.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked this orecchiette with broccoli rabe, you might also enjoy:
Hi. I made this w/ several substitutions:
I added sauteed onion, 2 thai birds eye peppers, kale, broccoli, and topped with crispy quinoa. I also seasoned it with kala namak. Instead of orechiette, I used whole wheat rotini.
I couldn’t find broccoli rabe. It was wonderful and will make again. Thank you for the base recipe.
Hi Lynne,
That’s great, I’m very happy you enjoyed it 💪
Thank you for taking the time to write a comment.
Hi Nico and Louise! I made this last night for our anniversary dinner and it was really good. I have a question and a suggestion:
Question: How would you modify the cooking process for storebought, dried orecchiette?
Suggestion: you may want to change the “If you use broccoli rabe or regular broccoli, then only use the florets and remove most of the stem” to use florets and leaves of broccoli rabe or florets of broccoli- I bought 1 kg of broccoli rabe at the supermarket and would have gotten very few actual florets out of it, like 4 or 5 tiny florets. I used the whole thing minus the stems.
Hi Chad,
Thanks so much for your comment, within the next 1-2 weeks, we will redo and update this recipe, so you’ll have the option to make it with store-bought broccoli (and cook with the stem of the veggies). Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it. Cheers, Nico
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Thanks a lot for your message Kristine. We’ve only been blogging for a few months now 🙂