A New York Times recipe by Kay Chun

This is the classic Italian combination of sausage and peppers combined with pasta. Choose between broccoli, broccolini, or broccoli rabe for a nutritious addition. Sweet Italian pork sausage is used here, but you can substitute with spicy Italian sausage, or chicken-apple sausage for a healthier take.

Using a combination of red, yellow or orange peppers, along with a green vegetable, makes a most attractive dish.

INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
  • 1 pound broccoli, cut into 1 1/2-inch florets (about 4 cups)
  • 2 medium yellow bell peppers (12 ounces), cored, seeded and thinly sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  •  Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1 pound rigatoni
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more for serving
    • add Parmesan cheese slowly; taste before adding more.
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
    • Taste before adding lemon juice; may not be necessary.
  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

PREPARATION

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat using a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the broccoli, peppers and garlic to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until they soften and begin to brown, about 8 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain the pasta. **Return the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pot over low heat. Add the broccoli mixture, cooked sausage and its accumulated juices, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the lemon juice and red-pepper flakes and stir vigorously until liquid is slightly thickened and saucy, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Serve the pasta with additional Parmesan for sprinkling on top.

Note: It’s not necessary to scrape the browned sausage into a bowl; leave it in the pan while adding the vegetables and pasta.

**You may not need to use all of the reserved pasta water. Stir in a little at a time until you get the desired consistency.