A Nice Pasta Dish For The Weekend

I learned a new pasta dish, earlier in the week, when I stopped by my chef buddy’s place and I’m going to share it with you. This is simple (now that I’ve been walked through it by an expert), and it’s also pretty healthy, if you’re not a member of the group, Science In The Public Interest (they’re the same people who told us fettucine alfredo was fattening�like it took a PhD to figure that out.)

Penne with Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

1 pound of penne, capellini, or orecchiette
8 ounces Italian sausage, chicken, turkey, or pork (casings removed)
6-10 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 2 pounds, trimmed and cut in 2, in lengths
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Fresh black pepper
Red pepper flakes
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil, in a large pot. Add 1 Tbsp of salt, then the pasta and cook according to instructions, for whatever pasta you are using. Drain pasta when al dente, but do not rinse.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the sausage until browned, in a non stick skillet. When browned, add the sausage to a food processor and pulse a couple of times. You just want to chop it so you get very small pieces, not turn it to mush (in this way, a small amount of sausage can flavor a large dish).

Return the sausage to the pan, add a little olive oil, the garlic, red pepper and cook for a few minutes. Then add the chicken broth and the broccoli rabe. Cover and cook a couple of minutes, until the broccoli rabe turns bright green. Uncover and cook, until most of the broth has evaporated. Add a little more olive oil and then, add the pasta. Mix it up and then, add about 2/3 of the parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Turn it out onto a large platter, hit it with a little more olive oil and the rest of the cheese.
This should feed about six adults, very nicely.

When you combine my pharmaceutical grade fish oil with all that wonderful garlic, olive oil and the broccoli rabe, you really are giving your body a tremendous cocktail, one that fortifies, as it flushes (and that garlic makes the fish oil’s omega-3’s into a net cholesterol lowering agent, as well).

Bon Apetit!