This Casarecce pasta is loaded with broccolini and Italian sausage for a veggie packed, easy meal that everyone will love. A simple and comforting one-pot dish that’s ready in about 30 minutes!
Can we all just agree that there’s nothing better than a big pot of pasta any night of the week? Ok, glad that’s settled. If this recipe caught your eye, you will definitely want to check out these popular pasta recipes on my blog – Pappardelle with Mushrooms and Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce, Farmer’s Market Green Pasta, Arugula Pesto Pasta and Ravioli with Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta.
Quick and easy pasta dishes are always in the rotation, and this is one of my favorites. To keep it on the healthier side, this recipe is packed with extra broccolini and goes lighter on the pasta and sausage. Everyone will be happily eating a proper serving of vegetables. This casarecce pasta will quickly become a family favorite!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
This broccolini and sausage pasta comes together easily with just a few simple ingredients!
- Casarecce Pasta – a traditional short pasta that’s rolled lengthwise and slightly twisted. In Italian, casarecce – pronounced cah-sah-ret-chee – means homemade! This pasta shape is perfect for chunky ingredients but if you can’t find casarecce, fusilli, penne or farfalle are all great short pasta options.
- Italian Sausage – you can use spicy or mild. I like to use a mix of both and let everyone add extra red pepper flakes to taste. You can also substitute chicken or turkey Italian sausage. Whatever you go with, it’s best if you can buy it bulk or remove it from the casing.
- Broccolini – broccolini is a cross-breed of broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It’s tender, mild and sweet with long stems. You can substitute with baby broccoli and follow the same instructions or use regular broccoli with the thick stalks removed and cut into small bite-sized florets.
- Garlic – LOTS of fresh garlic here. This is the kind of recipe where you can follow your heart.
- Peccorino Romano Cheese – slightly softer and brighter than parmesan with a sharp saltiness, it pairs perfectly with this dish. Parmesan is an excellent substitute.
- Lemon – a little bit of zest for some pop.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – for heat.
- White Wine – totally optional but I recommend adding a splash of whatever you’re drinking.
- Pasta Water – a non-negotiable. DO NOT FORGET to reserve the pasta water, it’s critical!
How to Make this One-Pot Casarecce Pasta
- Step 1 – Cook the casarecce according to package directions, just two minutes shy of al dente.
- Step 2 – Add the broccolini to the pasta and cook for one more minute. Reserve 2-3 cups of pasta water before draining the pasta and broccolini.
Add broccolini just before pasta is done. Brown the sausage in olive oil.
- Step 3 – Heat olive oil in the empty pot and brown Italian sausage. Add in garlic, cook for a bit and then deglaze with white wine.
- Step 4 – Add casarecce and broccolini back into the pot, toss in cheese and lemon zest and stir in pasta water until everything comes together and creates a light, glossy sauce. Top with red pepper flakes and extra cheese and enjoy!
Lemon zest adds an extra pop of flavor. Add cheese and red pepper flakes. Stir in reserved pasta water to create sauce.
What to Serve with Broccolini and Sausage Pasta
This one-pot wonder is a complete meal in itself. That’s why I love it so much! Lots of veggies, some protein and carbs, you really don’t need anything else. If you’re looking to dress it up a bit for company or a larger meal, I would go with some good crusty bread and my Greek Yogurt Caesar Salad with Parmesan Panko Crunch.
One-pot Casarecce with Broccolini and Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 12 oz casarecce pasta
- 1.5 pounds broccolini see post for substitutions
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage spicy or mild
- 6-8 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 cup finely grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1-2 cups reserved pasta water
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Trim bottom half inch from broccolini stems and cut larger pieces lengthwise in half.
- Bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Cook casarecce pasta according to package directions, 2 minutes shy of al dente.
- Add broccolini to pasta in boiling water and cook for one minute until bright green and tender crisp.
- Reserve a few cups of pasta water and drain pasta and broccolini.
- Return pot to the heat on medium high and add olive oil. Add in ground Italian sausage and cook until browned and cooked through.
- Add in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook for an additional minute. (see note for omitting wine)
- Turn the heat down to medium low and add the casarecce and broccolini back into the pot. Stir in cheese and lemon zest and one cup of reserved pasta water.
- Add ½ cup to one full cup of pasta water a little at a time until the pasta is coated in a light and glossy sauce, cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Serve in big bowls topped with more cheese and crushed red pepper flakes.
Jen
This pot of casarecce with broccolini and sausage had my family drooling!! We had never tried casarecce until now and it was super delicious. I’ll be adding this to my menu.
Kaluhi
I love me a quick dinner and this was not only fast but super yummy too! The sausage made it so yummy too and those notes were my favorite
Kate
I love it that I was able to put dinner on the table quickly, in a fraction of time! Everyone asked for second helpings, this is definitely bound to be on rotation in our home.
Robin
I’d been craving pasta so this recipe was right on time. I substituted the Italian sausage for the Impossible meatless version and my was it good!
Britney Brown-Chamberlain
I love that this recipe came together so quickly! So much flavor in really little to no time! This is an ideal weeknight recipe, especially those nights where you don’t feel like cooking but still want something good without doing takeout. Thanks so much, I will be making this again and again!
Marcus Avery
You had me at one-pot! This dish was super easy to make and so flavorful! I can’t wait to make it again!
Dee Moore
This was the perfect weeknight meal because all the ingredients combined made such an easy one-pot flavorful dish. I only made one modification, I substituted the sausage for chicken because I don’t eat pork.
Marta
I thought I would have a tough time finding the casarecce, but surprisingly my grocery store had it in stock. The lemon zest really brought out tons of bright notes in the dish. I really enjoyed this recipe.