New Basics: Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

I've realized recently that I've been posting a lot of fancy-dancy, prep-intensive meals, when really I've been needing some basics that I can just throw together in about thirty minutes. This, my friends, is definitely one of them, and it's delicious to boot.

Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage
from How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons, with minor adaptations

2 tbsp olive oil
4 hot Italian sausages (you can certainly use mild if you choose)
Head of broccoli (recipe says 1/2 pound; I just used a market-sized clump)
1 lb short pasta (I used whole wheat shells)
tbsp minced garlic
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp minced cilantro (again, recipe says parsley, but I also changed from lemon to lime so I used cilantro)
1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated (about 1/4 cup)
Salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta. While waiting, heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Slit the sausage casings and crumble the meat into the skillet. Cook until meat is deeply browned.

While the sausage is cooking, prepare the broccoli. Separate the florets from the stalks. If you have long, hard stalks, peel them and then dice. I simply cut off the very bottoms of my clump and then cut the stalk into small pieces.

When water comes to a boil, add the pasta. Add the garlic to the sausage and keep warm if already browned. After the pasta has cooked for about three minutes (I recommend 4-5 for whole wheat pasta) add the diced broccoli stalks. After 4-5 minutes, add the florets and cook about two minutes, just long enough to soften slightly and bring them to a bright green color.

Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of cooking water. Add the cilantro and lime juice to the sausage. Then add the pasta/broccoli mix and the reserved cooking water and cook over high heat, stirring constantly to coat everything with the juice as they reduce.

Add half the cheese and stir to combine well. Grate the remaining cheese over individual servings.


This took maybe 20 minutes to create and re-heated fairly well--it will definitely be a new staple of mine.