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Broccoli and Sausage with Pasta

Erica
Broccoli and Sausage with Orecchiette Pasta has tender broccoli, flavorful sausage, and fun orecchiette pasta in a luscious Boursin cream sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, this indulgent dinner is spectacularly easy yet incredibly delicious.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people
Calories 807 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lb bulk Italian sausage
  • 12 oz orecchiette pasta
  • 12 oz broccoli florets preferably steam-in-bag for microwave cooking (see Notes)
  • ¼ cup dry white wine or chicken stock
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 cups regular whipping cream see Notes
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 (5.2 oz) package Boursin cheese with garlic and herbs
  • garnish: chopped fresh herbs such as parsley and basil

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
  • In a large sauté pan, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking into bits with a spatula as it cooks, until crumbled and no longer pink. Transfer sausage to a plate or bowl lined with paper towels to drain the fat. Put the pan back on the stove.
  • Add the pasta to the boiling water and set timer to cook al dente according to package directions.
  • Put the broccoli to cook in the microwave according to package directions but reduce the cook time by 1 minute.
  • To the hot sauté pan, add the wine. Cook the wine until reduced by half, scraping up the browned bits of sausage from the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the butter, cream, salt, and garlic powder. Cook until lightly thickened. Add the Boursin and stir until smooth.
  • Chop larger broccoli florets (cooked at this point) into bite-sized pieces. Add the broccoli and sausage to the Boursin sauce.
  • Drain the pasta and add to the sauce. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.

Notes

Using steam-in-bag broccoli allows us to cook the broccoli quickly (~3 minutes or so, depending on the brand) in the microwave. If not available, blanche broccoli florets in boiling water for 2-3 minutes (until just fork tender but not overly soft), and immediately transfer to ice water to stop the cooking. 
If regular cream is not available, substitute 1-3/4 cups heavy cream plus 1/4 cup milk. Add additional milk if this mixture gets too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 807kcal (40%) | Carbohydrates: 47g (16%) | Protein: 20g (40%) | Fat: 57g (88%) | Saturated Fat: 32g (200%) | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 125mg (42%) | Sodium: 676mg (29%) | Potassium: 259mg (7%) | Fiber: 5g (21%) | Sugar: 2g (2%)

Calorie count is purely an estimate calculated using an online application to serve as a guide and not to be taken as accurate nutritional information. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Keyword broccoli and sausage with pasta, skillet broccoli and sausage
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