Savory Sausage and Baby Broccoli Rigatoni

If you want an easy weeknight pasta recipe, this one is the recipe for you! I love crispy savory pork tossed with baby broccoli smothered in a light lemon butter sauce! This recipe takes under 30 minutes and is budget friendly to feed the whole family!

In a nonstick skillet, brown your ground pork. Try not to flip and stir as often, letting the pork cook a bit will help brown it on each side. Once your pork is broken up into small pieces and is fully cooked, remove from the pan. I like to leave any fat and brown bits into the pan. I find it adds flavor!

In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and your diced shallot and garlic. Sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute). Toss in your chopped baby broccoli and let cook down. This may take a couple of minutes. You will see the color change to a darker green when it is cooking. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and grate your fresh parmesan cheese.

Pour in 1/4-1/3 cup pasta water and let simmer and reduce. Once reduced, turn off heat and add 3 tablespoons of cold butter and mix in. Grate more parmesan cheese and pour in your cooked pasta and sausage. Mix well. Grate more parmesan and zest your lemon. Serve with parmesan and red pepper flakes.

Savory Sausage and Baby Broccoli Rigatoni

This Savory Sausage and Baby Broccoli Rigatoni is the perfect 30-minute meal for a busy weeknight! Crispy, seasoned sausage is tossed with tender baby broccoli and rigatoni in a light lemon butter sauce and finished with plenty of parmesan cheese. It's a comforting and satisfying dish the whole family will love!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 29 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Equipment

• Large Pot
• Nonstick Skillet
• Tongs or Spatula
• Grater & Zester

Ingredients

  

• 16 oz rigatoni or pasta of choice
• 1 lb ground pork sausage spicy or mild
• 1 shallot diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup baby broccoli chopped
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 1 cup fresh parmesan cheese grated
• ¼ – ⅓ cup reserved pasta water
• 3 tbsp cold butter
• Optional: Red pepper flakes for garnish

Instructions

 

1️⃣ Cook the Pasta

• Cook rigatoni in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve ¼ – ⅓ cup pasta water before draining.

2️⃣ Brown the Sausage

• In a nonstick skillet, cook ground sausage over medium-high heat until browned and fully cooked. Avoid stirring too often for a crispy texture. Remove sausage from the pan but leave the browned bits behind.

3️⃣ Sauté the Aromatics & Broccoli

• In the same pan, add olive oil, diced shallot, and minced garlic. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.

4️⃣ Cook the Baby Broccoli

• Add chopped baby broccoli and cook for 2-3 minutes until bright green and slightly tender.

5️⃣ Add Lemon & Parmesan

• Squeeze in lemon juice and stir in ½ cup grated parmesan cheese.

6️⃣ Add Pasta Water & Butter

• Pour in ¼ – ⅓ cup reserved pasta water and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in cold butter to create a smooth, glossy sauce.

7️⃣ Toss Everything Together

• Add back the cooked pasta and sausage, tossing to coat evenly in the sauce.

8️⃣ Serve and Garnish

• Top with remaining parmesan, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Keyword baby broccoli, Easy, lemon, Pasta, sausage rigatoni