Sausage and rapini, (or broccoli rabe, cima di rapa, whatever you like to call it) is such a classic combination. You can have the two in pasta, on a pizza, in frittata, and the list goes on.
But I wanted to show it to you in its purest form...with just sausage, rapini, garlic, and olive oil (and some chili flakes if you like). Because it's true, sometimes the most simple things are the best. And this statement can't be truer for food and recipes.
The flavor of the Italian sausage and the pungent, slightly bitter flavor of the rapini combine beautifully to make the perfect weeknight dinner. It's a meal that has everything you need- protein, vegetables and whole lot of flavor! And it's ready in under 30 minutes! Just add some crusty bread, and you've rounded out the meal.
How to Make Sausage and Rapini - Step by Step
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cut rapini into pieces, about 2-3 inches long, stems included. Add rapini to boiling water, salt the water, and boil the rapini until tender, about 12 minutes (photos 1 and 2).
While rapini are boiling: in a small pan, on medium-high heat, add ½ tablespoon olive oil. Once olive oil is hot, add sausages. Sear sausages on all sides, then pierce sausages on one side to release fat. Turn heat down to medium-low and cook sausages until done, about 20 minutes (photo 3).
In a large frying pan, add 2 tablespoon olive oil. Once olive oil is hot, add garlic (photo 4).
Once garlic is fragrant, drain the rapini (photo 5).
Add the boiled rapini to the pan. Add salt, pepper and chili flakes. Sauté rapini in the garlic and olive oil for about 5-7 minutes. At this point, the sausage should be cooked. Slice the sausage into pieces. Add the rapini to a serving platter and top with sliced sausages. Finish with additional chili flakes, if desired (photo 6).
Extra Tips for Making Sausage and Rapini:
- This dish tastes best when the rapini is cooked well (ie. overcooked). In this case, I would say it's better overcooked than undercooked. This is why it may seem like the rapini boils for a long time, but it will bring out the flavor this way.
- The best sausage to use for this recipe is a classic Italian sausage. If you have an Italian butcher in your city, this will be the best bet to find a good quality Italian sausage for this dish.
- You can also cook the sausage by removing the casings instead of cooking them whole and slicing them. It's a matter of personal preference.
Other Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes You Might Like:
- Easy Fettucine with Bacon, Peas and Asparagus
- Prosciutto and Fennel Arugula Salad
- Penne with Lemony Ricotta, Zucchini and Arugula
If you’ve tried making this Sausage and Rapini dish, or any other recipe on the blog please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.
Recipe
Sausage and Rapini
Sausage and rapini is such a classic combination. Here it is in its purest form. The flavors of the rapini and sausage just work amazingly together. This is an easy weeknight meal can be made in 30 minutes. It doesn't get much better than that!
Ingredients
- 8 cups rapini, tips of stems removed
- 2 Italian sausages
- 2.5 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- chili flakes (optional)
Instructions
-
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
-
Cut rapini into pieces, about 2-3 inches long, stems included. Add rapini to boiling water, salt the water, and boil the rapini until tender, about 12 minutes.
-
While rapini are boiling: in a small pan, on medium-high heat, add ½ tablespoon olive oil. Once olive oil is hot, add sausages. Sear sausages on all sides, then pierce sausages on one side to release fat. Turn heat down to medium-low and cook sausages until done, about 20 minutes.
-
In a large frying pan, add 2 tablespoon olive oil. Once olive oil is hot, add garlic.
-
Once garlic is fragrant, drain the rapini, and add the boiled rapini to the pan. Add salt, pepper and chili flakes. Sauté rapini in the garlic and olive oil for about 5-7 minutes.
-
At this point, the sausage should be cooked. Slice the sausage into pieces. Add the rapini to a serving platter and top with sliced sausages. Finish with additional chili flakes, if desired.
Recipe Notes
- This dish tastes best when the rapini is cooked well (ie. overcooked). In this case, I would say it's better overcooked than undercooked. This is why it may seem like the rapini boils for a long time, but it will bring out the flavor this way.
- The best sausage to use for this recipe is a classic Italian sausage. If you have an Italian butcher in your city, this will be the best bet to find a good quality Italian sausage for this dish.
- You can also cook the sausage by removing the casings instead of cooking them whole and slicing them. It's a matter of personal preference.
