This is the best broccoli and sausage pasta recipe, I promise! It's my dream midweek meal and one of my favorite pasta recipes that I have written recently. The golden brown crispy sausage pieces give the biggest flavor boost and the slight hint of chilli and zing of lemon round it out perfectly. It is my perfect weeknight dinner.
Hi! I love writing recipes I feel 99% sure you'll make again and again. We all need those staple go-to dinner recipes. For me it's always been something like my Creamy Bacon Pasta or my very popular Creamy Chicken Pasta. This one feels slightly lighter with no cream and a good dose of broccoli. It's just delicious simple ingredients.
For this recipe I really love using pork and fennel sausages (like in my Creamy Sausage Pasta which you must try next!). I just love the flavor that fennel seeds give but use anything you like! Also use any pasta shape, there are no rules here. It would be delicious with some homemade pappardelle if you wanted to give it a try!
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Ingredient notes
Pasta - I tested this multiple times and used rigatoni and pipe rigate, both worked well! Go with any smallish pasta shape. My perfect serving size is 200 grams dried or 300 grams fresh (for two serves).
Fresh Broccoli - I use one big head which I know seems like a lot for two people but it cooks down a lot and it's so good for you! Traditionally this dish is made with broccoli rabe but it's not always easy to get at the grocery store here.
Sausages - As I said above I use pork and fennel but use sweet or spicy Italian sausage or anything else you like.
Lemon - I'm lemon obsessed and I have no shame in it. It's always the right move in any pasta dish as far as I am concerned. A little juice in the sauce and topping with the zest for extra flavor.
Fresh garlic - Please don't use jarred garlic if you can help it, fresh garlic cloves truly have the best flavor.
Red pepper flakes - Ok so I actually don't love lots of spice in this recipe so I only use a tiny amount. Use however much you like or substitute for fresh chilli.
Butter - Look, I know I said this is a lighter pasta option but if I can't use cream I have to be able to have butter! Mixed with pasta water it creates a delicious silky sauce.
Parmesan cheese - To melt nicely into a sauce, parmesan needs to be grated REALLY finely. My biggest tip is to use a smoothie maker to grind it into a powder.
How to make sausage and broccoli pasta
This is just for a visual overview, the full ingredient list and step-by-step instructions are in recipe card below. The video in recipe card will be super helpful too!
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ONE: Boil the broccoli florets in well salted water for 2 minutes, removing with a slotted spoon. I mash half of the broccoli with a potato masher. Cook pasta in the same water.
TWO: Heat some olive oil over a medium-high heat in a large skillet. Fry the sausage meat until golden brown, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
THREE: Add the cooked broccoli back in with ½ cup of pasta water and bring to a simmer.
FOUR: Add the butter, pepper and lemon juice and mix through.
FIVE: Add the cooked pasta in and toss well, letting liquid reduce slightly.
SIX: Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top in an even layer and let it melt undisturbed for 1-2 minutes. Toss vigorously over and over until the pasta sauce coats everything well.
Expert tips:
- Don't constantly move the ground sausage around when cooking as it won't brown that way. You want some nice golden colour on the meat.
- If using dried pasta, undercook it by a minute from package instructions so it can bubble away IN the sauce for a minute or two at end and still be al dente.
- Use the right ratio of water and salt for cooking pasta. We want lots of starch in the water to help create a great sauce. Head to my Guide for Cooking Perfect Pasta.
- Finely grate your parmesan cheese. It will melt so much easier if you use a microplane or the star side of a box grater. I personally love to grind it down into a powder in a smoothie maker.
- Use a big pan. It needs quite a vigorous toss at the end so something big with high sides is great. You could actually use a Dutch oven.
Recipe FAQs
I love fennel so much so I always use pork and fennel. This recipe will work with any kind of sausage though! Beef, chicken, whatever!
Timing a pasta dish with a few elements can be tricky. My advice for the first time is to boil the broccoli first then run under cold water. If your pasta takes 10 minutes to boil (as an example) then you can start frying the sausage after it's been boiling for a few mins. If the pasta is ready too soon then just reserve a cup of water, drain and toss with a knob of butter so it doesn't stick.
This recipe keeps pretty well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 - 3 days. I would not advise freezing it.
Some other recipes to try
If you loved this broccoli sausage pasta then you must head to my recipe section for all kinds of other delicious pasta dishes. Here are a few suggestions for next time:
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Recipe
Best Broccoli and Sausage Pasta Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 large head of broccoli (350 - 400 grams, cut into florets)
- 200 grams dried pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 220 grams sausages see notes
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped/minced
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 45 grams butter cubed
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice (plus zest to serve)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 30 grams parmesan (VERY finely grated)
Instructions
- Boil the broccoli in well salted water for 2 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon or spider strainer into a colander. We want the broccoli water left behind to cook pasta in.
- Run the broccoli under cold water to stop it cooking. An optional step is to mash up half of it with a potato masher.
- Boil your pasta according to package instructions. I like to undercook it by a minute so it can finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- At the same time the pasta is cooking heat the oil in a large fry pan that will fit all the pasta in at the end. A medium-high heat.
- Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings and fry for around 5 minutes until lightly golden, breaking it up into really small pieces with a wooden spoon. Turn heat down if burning.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes if using and stir through for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add broccoli and ½ cup pasta water, bring to a simmer and let it bubble away for 1-2 minutes. It should just be at a gentle simmer so adjust heat accordingly.
- Add butter, lemon juice and pepper and stir through to melt.
- Add the cooked pasta in and toss well, letting the sauce thicken up slightly for 2 - 3 minutes. There should be some liquid left but it should be reduced down by half.
- Arrange everything in the pan into a nice even layer. Lower the heat to low and sprinkle the finely grated parmesan onto the top, letting it gently melt undisturbed for 1-2 mins. I sometimes use a lid to cover the pan to help it along.
- Toss vigorously (high sided pans are useful here!) over and over until the sauce has thickened up. It will continue to thicken and coat the pasta off the heat. I find this one gets better a few minutes after as the pasta soaks up the sauce.
- Toss the lemon zest through then serve with extra parmesan on top.
- The video below will be really helpful!
Alison says
This was so delicious and super quick! The lemon really gives it a zing.
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much Alison! Love how quick this one is 🙂
Susan LaConti says
So delicious. Quick and flavorful
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much Susan! So happy when I get a review on a new recipe and it obviously worked OK! 🙂