Broccoli Rabe Pesto with Whole-Wheat Pasta and Turkey Sausage
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- Yield Serves 6
Ingredients
- Coarse salt
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe, tough stems removed
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound spicy turkey sausage, sliced 3/4 inch thick
- 1 pound whole-wheat linguine
Directions
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Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Blanch broccoli rabe until just tender, about 1 minute. Reserving cooking water, transfer broccoli to an ice-water bath until cool, then drain.
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Pulse broccoli, pine nuts, and Parmesan in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Drizzle in 1/3 cup oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and red-pepper flakes.
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Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown sausage, turning, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta in reserved water according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking water.
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Toss pasta, pesto, and sausage, gradually adding cooking water until you get a creamy consistency. Serve with Parmesan and a drizzle of oil.
I couldn't find broccoli rabe when I wanted to make this so just used broccoli and it was delicious. I estimated the amount of broccoli to use and ended up with a large amount of pesto, so my whole dish turned quite green with the pesto mixed in, but it was a big hit with my husband, and I will definitely make it again. The mild, delicate taste of the pesto was a perfect compliment to the spicy turkey sausage.