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
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.
Maryann Borrelli Dickinson says
EXCELLENT!
Pina says
Yay! You're the best Maryann!
Lauren says
Just a question, why do you use 2 different pans for the sausage and sauteeing the rapini? Wouldn't the rapini benefit from the flavorful fat good quality sausage has rendered while cooking?
Pina says
Hi Lauren! Thanks for your question. Honestly this is the way my mom does it (in 2 pans) so I followed her method. Your method with one pan sounds delicious too! And I like your note about good quality sausage - I've had many sausages where they release a lot of water, instead of fat...
Laurie says
I have made this for years! I serve it over
Penne pasta!
Pina says
Yum!! Sounds delicious Laurie!
Judy Kennedy says
So much easier to make. you put a small bit of oil in the pan, put in a couple of quartered onions and cut up sausages, . Put in rinsed rapini (with a little bit of water that is left on the rapini from rinsing)cover the pan so that the rapini steams (Add a little bit more water if necessary or pasta water) llet the sausages and rapini cook away. Add some chilli pepper flakes if you want. Serve your dish with a side of orzo preoatred the way you like it. I often boil the orzo and then sauté it very quickly with garlic ,olives ,oregano etc. makes a great side Voila
Pina says
Sounds awesome Judy!
Joseph says
The dish was good. I was however disappointed with the texture of the rapini. Boiling the cut up rapini for such a long time turned the greens to mush and the delicious sharpness of the rapini was drained off with the boiling water. I did still enjoy my dinner.
Pina says
Sorry the rapini were overcooked Joseph! You can try boiling them for less time next time.
Thanks for making this recipe!
Pina
Carolyn Briggs says
I really wanted to give this a higher score but i prefer to grade based on a recipe as written. All the flavor came from the sausage. I’ll tweak it the next time, adding lemon juice, Parmesan Reggiano and?
Renzo says
Love this recipe. Any alternative to boling the rapini. I think nutrients are lost when boling vegetables.
Pina says
Hi Renzo! Thank you so much! Yes, you can sautee/braise the rapini instead.
Add it to a pan with olive oil and garlic. Add the rapini. Then add salt. Add water if necessary. Cover with a lid and cook until tender.
-Pina