Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Christina is miserable. She had her wisdom teeth out on Friday, she has been fighting a rotten cold, and Christmas vacation is over. He poor face is as fat as a chipmunk gathering food. She took one look at herself in the mirror and broke out in sobs. Oh, there is a party at the Glad house tonight. She is going to school sick or not. So to celebrate the end of the vacation, I prepared this sophisticated pasta dish. She couldn't chew it, so,I didn't bother with a vegetarian version...Oh I am so mean.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli

I have had this recipe pinned on the fridge to try since I saw it a month ago. Did you know it is next to impossible to find Orecchiette shaped pasta in Provo? I saw a great package of it at Sunflower Farmers Market and didn't bat an eye at the $3.50 price tag; I figure it is organic and made by monks in Italy, so what the heck. But it IS impossible to find broccoli rabe in Provo, if you know where to find some let me know. So I used two crowns of broccoli and 3 large handfuls of spinach.

One of the special touches I loved was toasting some really good day old bread crumbs from a Great Harvest loaf of bread and a spoonful of olive oil, and topping them on the pasta. Inspired by a Nancy Silverton recipe that was featured in the January 2009 issue of InStyle Magazine.

1 box (12-16 oz.) orecchiette pasta (ear shaped)
1 bunch (1 1/4 pound) broccoli rabe
3 handfuls of spinach about 3 cups
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 1/2 cups store-bought marinara sauce
1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orecchiette according to package directions. Add broccoli during last 3 minutes of cooking;drain.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add cooked pasta and broccoli rabe to skillet, tossing until combined. Stir in marinara sauce; cook 1 minute or until heated through.

3. Sprinkle with cheeses and the toasted bread crumbs before serving.