Sausage Broccoli Pasta

A lot of meat and pasta recipes involve an indulgent creamy sauce that’s high in calories. This smoked sausage, broccoli and pasta recipe is just as satisfying but manages to be a lot leaner and lighter. Using Polish or smoked sausage helps and so does the choice of a tomato-based sauce.

Once you’ve prepped the ingredients—and there’s not much of that to do—you can mostly leave the pot alone. Just let the broccoli become tender and the sausages infuse the tomato sauce with their meaty flavor. Save some for later because this is definitely a dish that’s even better on day two.

Ingredients for Sausage Broccoli Pasta

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• Spiral pasta: Choose this solid-shaped pasta for its ability to absorb sauce.
• Smoked kielbasa: A slightly spicy kielbasa or Polish sausage is ready to eat and just needs a thorough heating.
• Broccoli: Cut into florets to add some bulk and crunch to the dish.
• Red onion: Thin sliced red onion makes such a natural pairing with smoked sausage.
• Diced tomatoes: Keep the liquid as the tomatoes will provide the majority of the sauce.
• Basil: Use fresh minced basil if you can get it, or dried basil as a backup.
• Parsley: Again, fresh is best but dried will still give that light fragrance to finish.
• Sugar: A little white or brown sugar balances the acidity of the tomato sauce.

Directions

Step 1: Boil the spiral pasta

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Cook the ‘fusilli’ according to directions. Just short of ‘al dente’ is best.

Step 2: Saute the sausage

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Meanwhile, saute the sliced Polish sausage, broccoli florets and red onion slices for five to six minutes until the broccoli is crisp and tender in a Dutch oven or skillet.

Step 3: Complete the tomato sauce

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Add the diced tomatoes and juice, minced basil, fresh parsley and sugar. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and stir into the sausage mixture.

Editor’s Tip: If your pasta and sauce are drying out, add some of the pasta water or a slug of chicken broth.

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Recipe Variations

• Add cheese: Grate or shave some Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese on top to give some creaminess to each bite.
• Use sausage meat: You can use most types of sausage or squeeze the filling out of your favorite sausage and form into balls to fit your preferred size.
• Veg combos: You can swap broccoli with spinach or add sliced mushrooms to bulk up the final recipe.

How to Store Sausage Broccoli Pasta

This is a great sausage and broccoli pasta dish to come back to during the week! You’ll be glad to know that you can store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. Keep an eye on the broccoli though, as it can start to smell sulfurous from around day three.

Can you freeze sausage broccoli pasta?

This is a great recipe to batch-cook and freeze for later. Allow everything to cool and transfer to a freezer-friendly container. It will stay good for up to three months. Allow it to thaw overnight and reheat in the microwave when you’re ready.

Sausage Broccoli Pasta Tips

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What other ways can I cook sausage broccoli pasta?

You’ll get even more intense flavors if you roast the ingredients (apart from the pasta) in the oven to get that charred texture. Toss the sausage, broccoli, onions and mushrooms (optional) in olive oil and salt. Cook them in a roasting pan and finish the sauce and pasta as before.

What can I serve with sausage and broccoli pasta?

This is such a filling dish that you won’t have much room left, but serving some garlic bread or bruschetta on the side is a nice touch. You could even stretch to a light leafy green salad to cleanse the palate.

What other types of pasta can you use?

Most pasta types are interchangeable and you can use whatever you have in store, from flat farfalle to hollow rigatoni. Arguably the most famous version of this pasta with sausage and broccoli recipe, from Lidia Bastianich, uses flat orecchiette pasta and broccoli rabe or ‘rapini,’ which are slightly more bitter.