Equipment
Ingredients
Main Components
- 350 g rigatoni, dry
- 400 g italian sweet sausage, casings removed
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 250 g broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
Aromatics & Sauce
- 15 ml olive oil
- 3 garlic, minced
- 50 g parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 g red pepper flakes
- salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 793 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbohydrates
- 79 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1093 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 9 mg
- Potassium
- 836 mg
- Calcium
- 232 mg
- Iron
- 5.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 73 mg
- Phosphorus
- 482 mg
- Zinc
- 4.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 50 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 149 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 67 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.85 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.49 mg
- Niacin
- 7.2 mg
- Folate
- 261 mcg
- Water
- 116 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Mince the garlic, slice the yellow bell pepper, and cut the broccoli into small, bite-sized florets. Remove the sausage from its casings.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil at 100°C/212°F. Add the rigatoni and cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions for an al dente texture.
During the last 2 minutes of the pasta cooking time, add the broccoli florets directly to the boiling pasta water to blanch. Before draining, reserve 120ml of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander.
While the pasta boils, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon into bite-sized crumbles. Cook until nicely browned and the internal temperature reaches 74°C/165°F.
Add the sliced yellow bell pepper to the skillet with the sausage. Sauté until the peppers begin to soften. Stir in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking until highly fragrant.
Add the drained rigatoni and broccoli to the skillet with the sausage and peppers. Pour in half of the reserved pasta water.
Sprinkle the grated parmesan over the skillet contents. Toss everything vigorously over medium heat, adding more pasta water as needed, until the cheese and starchy water melt together into a glossy sauce that coats the pasta. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Chef's Notes
- For the best pan sauce, toss the pasta aggressively in the final step. The mechanical action is critical; it helps the pasta release surface starches which then emulsify with the cheese and sausage fat.
- Cooking the broccoli directly in the pasta water not only saves you from washing an extra pot, but it also lightly infuses the florets with a starchy quality that helps the final sauce cling better.
- If using sweet Italian sausage, balancing its rich profile with a generous pinch of red pepper flakes and freshly cracked black pepper elevates the entire dish.
- Be careful not to oversalt your pasta water if your sausage and parmesan are particularly salty. Wait until the final emulsification to adjust the final seasoning.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The sauce may thicken upon resting.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water or chicken broth to revive the pan sauce.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is watery and pools at the bottom of the bowl
Cause: The cheese and pasta water did not emulsify properly, or too much water was added at once.
Fix: Return skillet to medium heat and simmer rapidly while constantly tossing the pasta to evaporate excess moisture and re-emulsify the sauce.
Prevention: Add pasta water gradually, in 30ml increments, while tossing vigorously over heat.
Sauce is clumpy or stringy
Cause: Pre-shredded cheese with anti-caking agents was used, or the pan was too hot when the cheese was added.
Fix: Add a small splash of hot pasta water and stir rapidly to try to smooth the cheese clumps. Cannot be fully fixed if proteins have seized.
Prevention: Always grate parmesan from a block and remove pan from highest heat before tossing.
Cultural Context
Sausage and peppers is a beloved staple of Italian-American cuisine, traditionally served as a hearty sandwich filling or standalone dish at bustling street fairs, most notably the Feast of San Gennaro in New York. Incorporating these classic ingredients into a pasta dish with broccoli transforms it into a cohesive, balanced weeknight meal. It stands as a delicious testament to the resourcefulness of Italian immigrants who adapted traditional techniques to the abundant meat and produce available in America.
