Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

1lb medium shells pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb Italian sausage (casings removed)

1 lb broccoli florets

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 cup parmesan (grated)

salt & pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cook pasta according to package directions, minus one minute.
Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta water.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven.  Add sausage and thoroughly brown, breaking apart with a wooden spoon.

Add broccoli.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir to coat with sausage drippings.  Add 1 cup pasta water.  Stir, scraping up browned pieces from bottom of pan.

Add pasta.  Toss to coat.  Cook for one minute.  Remove from heat.

Add Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.  Stir until creamy. 

Sprinkle with extra parmesan and serve immediately.

(The inspiration for this dish came from The Chew.  My thanks to Mario Batali!! For whatever reason I couldn't find broccoli rabe at my local grocery, so I substituted the broccoli florets.  And rather than making the pasta, I substituted a dried pasta.  Mario's version also calls for pecorino.  As I was getting ready to prepare the dish, I realized I had forgotten the pecorino cheese, so I used parmesan instead)