Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
This orecchiette with sausage and broccoli is the kind of weeknight dinner that busy families dream about – fast, flavorful, and balanced. The combo of juicy sausage, tender broccoli, and perfectly cooked pasta delivers every time. It’s hearty, easy, and the whole family always wants seconds. Looking for more simple dinner ideas? Check out my ultimate weeknight dinner collection with 100+ recipes.
It doesn’t get easier than this!
This orecchiette with sausage and broccoli has all of the components you need for a quick and easy meal AND it comes together in 30 minutes, making it perfect for weeknight dinners.
It has protein, veggies, major flavor, and pasta, which always seems to help any situation – at least at our house! You might even have everything you need to make this pasta dish in your kitchen already, it’s made with just five simple ingredients. It’s…
🍝 Balanced & satisfying: This meal has protein, veggies, pasta, and flavor – all in one bowl!
🥦 Veggie-packed: Don’t you love meals that include the veggie? 😊 (Can you tell I went to school for nutrition?!)
👩👩👧👦 Family-approved: This dish works for the whole family. It’s mild enough for kids, tasty enough for grown-ups.
⭐️ Loved by many: This recipe has gone viral on Pinterest and has almost 80+ comments from people who have loved this meal and are surprised by how tasty it is as it’s so simple!
🕒 Weeknight-ready: Easy prep, ready in about 30 minutes, and minimal cleanup.
🌿 Customizable: Works with different veggies, pasta swaps, and extra additions.
You’ll also want to try my chicken parm pasta, creamy boursin pasta, penne pomodoro, and shrimp linguine.
My entire family loves this dish! By request, it’s in our meal rotation at least every other week. Thank you for this quick, easy and healthy weeknight dinner for busy families! –Sarah
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this easy dinner to the table: broccoli florets, orecchiette, olive oil, Italian sausage, garlic, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, cracked pepper, and flaky salt for serving.
- Pasta: This recipe calls for orecchiette, which means little ears, and is pronounced “oh-reck-ee-ET-tay.” I just discovered that I’ve been saying it wrong all along, but I’ll say it like an Italian from here on out! You should be able to find orecchiette at any grocery store (though sometimes I oddly have trouble tracking it down), or you can order it from amazon. You can also use a medium-sized pasta like penne, farfalle, fusilli, rotini, or medium shells.
- Sausage: If you can find it, look for Italian sausage that is not in casings. You can use hot, mild, or sweet sausage depending on your preference. You can also swap out the Italian sausage for your favorite plant-based sausage for a vegetarian option.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Cooking methods: If you want your broccoli a bit on the softer side, one reader suggested dropping it in the with the pasta water and blanching it quickly.
- Feeding Kids without pressure: This meal is adored by so many kids at so many tables! But if it’s a new food, serve a small dish of pasta (one noodle, one piece of broccoli, one sausage crumble) and serve the meal with a few things you know they will eat (milk, fruit, bread) in case they aren’t into the pasta.
- Shortcuts: You can buy the broccoli already cleaned and cut into florets, but because they often times still need some trimming, so it’s not the best shortcut. I usually buy whole heads as the broccoli seems fresher.
- Additions: Some other reviewers left some ideas on additions that they loved and they sound wonderful to me: diced onion, frozen corn, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, toasted panko, homemade cashew cream sauce, heavy whipping cream, and more.
Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
This orecchiette with sausage and broccoli is a delicious and nutritious weeknight dinner. Ready in 30 min + made with 5 simple ingredients!
Ingredients
- 16 oz. broccoli florets (about 2 small crowns)
- 1 lb. orecchiette pasta
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 16 oz. raw Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups reserved pasta water
- topping: grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, red pepper flakes, freshly cracked pepper, flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Prep broccoli: clean and trim broccoli. Chop florets into small pieces.
- Cook pasta as directed on the package, but take off the heat 2 minutes early. BE SURE TO RESERVE 2 CUPS PASTA WATER.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. When it’s hot, add sausage to the pan, breaking it up with the back of a spatula or spoon. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, until browned.
- Add chopped broccoli and garlic to the pan, tossing everything together. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, until broccoli has softened. Add a sprinkle of water to help steam (and soften up) the broccoli.
- When pasta is finished cooking, add the drained pasta to the pan, along with 1/2 of the pasta water.
- Toss everything together and add extra pasta water if the mixture seems dry.
- Serve with desired toppings: parmesan cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, flaky sea salt, red pepper flakes, and freshly cracked pepper to taste.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days. Not ideal for freezing due to texture changes in the pasta and broccoli. Reheat the sausage pasta in a hot skillet or in the microwave until heated through. Drizzle with a little olive oil if it feels dry.
Ingredient notes: Use pork, chicken, or turkey sausage. Want to use less meat? Some Italian sausage is sold in 12-oz. packages, which would be fine to use here! If you have trouble finding orecchiette, you can use smaller pasta like medium shells or penne instead. Whole grain pasta normally isn’t my favorite, but it’s delicious in this dish!
Helpful tools: A pasta pot with a straining cover makes prep easy, though I also love a spider skimmer to scoop out the pasta right into the skillet.
Prep ahead: Broccoli can be chopped and ready.
Serve with: Italian chopped salad and garlic bread.
Serving Suggestions
This sausage orecchiette pasta is designed to really be a well-rounded meal (protein, veggies, flavor!), but if you want to add a side, here are few ideas:
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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My entire family loves this dish! By request, it’s in our meal rotation at least every other week. Thank you for this quick, easy and healthy weeknight dinner for busy families!
Yay! So glad to hear this, Sarah. Thank you 🙂
At which point do you put the garlic in?
This was DELICIOUS and so easy to make! I used penne pasta which required a bit more pasta water. I highly recommend the toppings listed. So glad I have leftovers so I can eat this all week 🙂
Hi Heidi! So glad you enjoyed it, it’s a family favorite at our house.
This was super yummy, my whole family loved it! And I absolutely love how quick and simple it was to make. I will definitely be making this again ☺️
So glad you enjoyed it, Mia! Thanks for sharing!
This was delicious!! I was looking for a recipe to throw my leftover broccoli in and decided to give it a try. Turned out soooo yummy! I also added in some frozen corn I wanted to use up, definitely will make again!
I added some toasted panko and it made this absolutely perfect 🤤
Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE this idea as I am a firm believer that toasted panko on pasta is SO good.
Hi! Could you add the broccoli to the pasta while it’s cooking to soften it up a bit then add to the pan?
Absolutely! I would just do a minute or so in boiling water, and you may not need to cook it as long later.
So yummy! The local grocery stores around me didn’t have this type of pasta so I got it off Amazon. Followed the recipe pretty much except I sautéed half a diced onion and doubled the garlic . Very delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting me know! 🙂