🍝 Farfalle with Garlic, Olive Oil, Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe & Pecorino Romano
🌟 Introduction
This Farfalle with Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe & Pecorino Romano is a rustic Italian-inspired pasta dish packed with bold flavors.
Tender bow-tie pasta is tossed with savory Italian sausage, slightly bitter broccoli rabe, fragrant garlic, fruity olive oil, and a gentle kick of crushed red pepper. Finished with salty, sharp Pecorino Romano, every bite is rich, satisfying, and full of character.
It’s a simple meal made from everyday ingredients, but it has the kind of flavor that makes a homemade dinner feel truly special. 🍝🥦🧄🌶️
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🛒 Ingredients
🍝 Pasta
- 12 oz (340 g) farfalle pasta
- Salt, for the pasta water
- ½–1 cup reserved pasta water
🌭 Sausage & Broccoli Rabe
- 1 lb (450 g) Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
🧀 Finishing
- ¾ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Extra Pecorino Romano, for serving
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
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👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the broccoli rabe
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the chopped broccoli rabe and blanch for approximately 2–3 minutes.
Remove it with a slotted spoon and place it in a bowl of cold water.
Drain thoroughly and gently squeeze out excess water.
This helps soften the greens and mellow some of their bitterness.
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2. Cook the farfalle
Bring the same pot of water back to a boil.
Add the farfalle and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
Drain the pasta and set it aside.
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3. Brown the sausage
While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the Italian sausage and break it into small pieces.
Cook for approximately 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through.
Remove the sausage and set it aside, leaving the flavorful drippings in the skillet.
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4. Make the garlic and olive-oil base
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the olive oil and sliced garlic to the skillet.
Cook gently for about 1–2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the crushed red pepper flakes.
Be careful not to burn the garlic—the goal is to gently infuse the olive oil with garlic and chili flavor.
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5. Add the broccoli rabe
Add the blanched broccoli rabe to the skillet.
Toss it with the garlic, olive oil, and crushed red pepper.
Cook for approximately 2–3 minutes.
Season lightly with black pepper and salt, remembering that Pecorino Romano and sausage are already salty.
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6. Bring everything together
Return the browned sausage to the skillet.
Add the cooked farfalle and toss thoroughly.
Slowly add the reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, while tossing.
The starchy water helps create a silky coating that brings the olive oil, cheese, and pasta together.
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7. Add Pecorino Romano
Turn the heat to low or remove the skillet from the burner.
Add the grated Pecorino Romano gradually while tossing continuously.
Add more pasta water if necessary until the pasta becomes glossy and lightly coated.
Finish with fresh parsley and, if desired, a small squeeze of lemon juice.
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🍳 Cooking Method
The secret to this dish is layering the flavors.
The sausage is browned first, creating savory caramelized bits in the pan. The broccoli rabe is briefly blanched to soften its texture and balance its bitterness.
Garlic is then gently cooked in olive oil with crushed red pepper, creating a fragrant base without allowing the garlic to burn.
Finally, the farfalle is tossed directly with all the ingredients. Reserved pasta water helps emulsify the olive oil and Pecorino Romano into a light, silky coating.
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📜 A Little History
Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is strongly associated with southern Italian cuisine, where bitter greens are commonly paired with garlic, olive oil, chili, and sausage.
Pecorino Romano is one of Italy’s best-known sheep’s-milk cheeses and has a long history dating back to ancient Roman times.
Farfalle is recognized by its distinctive bow-tie or butterfly shape. The name comes from the Italian word “farfalla,” meaning butterfly.
Together, these ingredients create a dish inspired by traditional Italian combinations of pasta, greens, sausage, garlic, chili, and aged cheese.
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🥦 Benefits
This dish combines several ingredients that contribute important nutrients:
- 🍝 Farfalle provides carbohydrates for energy.
- 🌭 Italian sausage provides protein.
- 🥦 Broccoli rabe provides fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- 🧄 Garlic adds flavor and naturally occurring plant compounds.
- 🫒 Olive oil provides mostly unsaturated fats.
- 🧀 Pecorino Romano contributes protein and calcium.
- 🌶️ Crushed red pepper adds plenty of flavor without needing a heavy sauce.
For extra vegetables, you can increase the broccoli rabe while keeping the pasta quantity the same.
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✨ Formation & Presentation
For a beautiful presentation, use a large spoon or tongs to arrange the farfalle in the center of each plate.
Make sure each serving has plenty of sausage and broccoli rabe.
Finish with:
🧀 Freshly grated Pecorino Romano
🌿 Chopped parsley
🌶️ A pinch of crushed red pepper
🫒 A small drizzle of olive oil
Serve immediately while the pasta is hot.
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❤️ Conclusion
This Farfalle with Italian Sausage, Broccoli Rabe & Pecorino Romano proves that you don’t need a complicated sauce to make an incredible pasta dinner.
The savory sausage, bitter-sweet greens, fragrant garlic, spicy red pepper, fruity olive oil, and sharp Pecorino Romano create a beautifully balanced combination.
It’s rustic, comforting, satisfying, and packed with classic Italian-inspired flavor. 🍝❤️
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😍 For Pasta Lovers
If you love garlic-and-oil pasta with sausage, greens, and plenty of cheese, this recipe is definitely worth saving.
The farfalle catches little bits of sausage, garlic, broccoli rabe, and Pecorino in every bite.
Serve it with a simple green salad and warm crusty bread for a complete meal. 🥗🥖
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🔥 Final Method & Tips
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: About 40 minutes
Servings: 4–6
👨🍳 Helpful Tips
- Don’t overcook the broccoli rabe; a quick blanch keeps it pleasantly tender.
- Brown the sausage well for deeper flavor.
- Keep the garlic on moderate heat so it doesn’t burn.
- Reserve pasta water before draining.
- Add Pecorino Romano off the high heat to help prevent clumping.
- Go easy on salt because sausage and Pecorino Romano are naturally salty.
- Add lemon juice at the end if you want a brighter flavor.
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🍽️ Final Serving
Pile the hot farfalle onto plates and top generously with sausage, broccoli rabe, Pecorino Romano, and a little crushed red pepper.
Finish with fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
One skillet, simple Italian-inspired ingredients, and a bowl full of comfort. 🍝🫒🧄🌶️🥦🧀❤️