Broccoli and sausage orecchiette, done with a creamy blended broccoli and Parmesan sauce, crisp chorizo and toasted walnuts, then topped with whipped lemon and chive ricotta. Forty-five minutes, one frying pan and a pasta pot.
The trick is in the broccoli. Stalks and florets are chopped small and softened in butter with shallot, garlic and anchovy, then simmered in stock. A third of that gets blended with basil into a smooth green sauce that coats the pasta, and the rest stays as texture. The chorizo fries in the same pan so its paprika oil ends up in the sauce, the walnuts bring crunch, and the cold whipped ricotta on top cuts through all of it.
Broccoli and Sausage Orecchiette with Walnuts and Whipped Lemon Ricotta
Orecchiette tossed through a creamy broccoli and Parmesan sauce with crisp chorizo and toasted walnuts, finished with a dollop of whipped lemon and chive ricotta.
Ingredients
- 30g butter
- 1 shallot, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 anchovy fillets, or 1 tsp anchovy paste
- 300g broccoli, florets and stalks, finely chopped
- A splash of white wine vinegar (optional)
- 250ml chicken or vegetable stock
- A handful of basil leaves
- 200g orecchiette (or rigatoni)
- 60g Parmesan, finely grated
- 50g walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 150g chorizo or nduja, sliced or crumbled
- 100g ricotta
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp very finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and anchovies and cook for 2 minutes more until fragrant.
- Add the chopped broccoli and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it starts to catch and brown, deglaze with a splash of white wine vinegar.
- Pour in the stock, cover and simmer for 5 minutes until the broccoli is tender. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer a third of the broccoli mixture to a blender with most of the basil leaves, keeping a few back for serving, and blend until smooth. Tip the remaining broccoli mixture into a bowl and set aside.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the orecchiette until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, return the frying pan to a medium heat and fry the chorizo or nduja until the chorizo is crisp, or the nduja has melted and released its oil.
- Meanwhile, whip the ricotta with the lemon zest, chives and a pinch of salt until light and fluffy.
- Add the reserved broccoli mixture and the blended sauce to the pan with the sausage. Stir in the walnuts, then the Parmesan, and mix well. Taste and season.
- Lift the cooked pasta straight into the sauce with a slotted spoon, bringing some starchy pasta water with it. Stir to coat, adding more pasta water if needed to loosen.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
1143Protein
54 gSugar
6 gCarbs
88 gFat
61 g
Ingredient Notes
Broccoli
Use the whole head, stalk included. Peel the tough outer layer off the stalk if needs be, then chop it as finely as the small florets so it cooks in the same time. The stalk is sweeter than the florets and gives the blended sauce its body.
Orecchiette
The little cups hold the sauce and catch bits of broccoli and sausage. Rigatoni does the same job if that’s what you have. Cook it properly al dente; it carries on softening once it meets the hot sauce.
Chorizo or nduja
They behave differently. Cooking chorizo slices crisp up and release a rich paprika oil. Nduja melts into the pan and turns the whole sauce rusty and hot. Both work; nduja makes a spicier, looser dish. Use cooking chorizo, not the cured sliced kind.
Anchovies
They don’t make the dish taste of fish. They melt into the butter and give the broccoli a savoury depth that’s hard to place. Anchovy paste works just as well of you can get it.
Parmesan
Grate it finely so it melts into the sauce rather than clumping. Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano are both fine.
Walnuts
Toast them in a dry pan for 4 to 5 minutes until they smell nutty, then chop roughly. Untoasted walnuts are soft and slightly bitter; toasted ones are the whole point.
Ricotta
Drain off any liquid sitting in the tub before whipping, or it will go loose. Keep it cold until you need it so it holds its shape against the hot pasta.
Kitchen notes
Blend only a third
Blending the whole lot gives you a smooth green sauce and nothing else. Keeping two thirds whole means you get texture and visible broccoli through the pasta.
Pasta water is the sauce
Lifting the orecchiette straight from the pot into the pan brings some starchy water with it, which is what turns the Parmesan and blended broccoli into something that clings and coats. Add a couple of tablespoons at a time until it looks glossy, not soupy.
Fry the sausage in the same pan
Don’t wash the pan after the broccoli. The chorizo picks up what’s left and its oil then goes back into the sauce.
Serving suggestions
How to serve
Straight from the pan into warm bowls, a big spoonful of whipped ricotta on each, a few basil leaves, extra Parmesan and a crack of black pepper. Let people break the ricotta into the pasta themselves.
What to serve alongside
A sharp green salad with a lemon dressing, or nothing at all. It’s a complete meal.
Drinks
A dry Italian white with some weight, a Verdicchio or a Soave, stands up to the chorizo. A light red like a Barbera works if you’ve gone the nduja route.
Zero waste
The stalk
It’s already in the recipe, but if you’ve trimmed more than you need, the peeled stalk is good raw, sliced thin into a salad or slaw, see my broccoli and stilton salad.
Leftovers
Reheat gently with a splash of water or stock, as the pasta soaks up the sauce overnight. Keep the ricotta separate and add it cold.
Basil stems
Blend them in with the leaves. They have all the flavour and disappear completely.
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Leave out the sausage and anchovies and use vegetable stock. Add a pinch of chilli flakes and smoked paprika to the shallots for warmth, and check the Parmesan, as traditional Parmigiano Reggiano is not vegetarian.
Can I use tenderstem or purple sprouting broccoli?
Yes. Chop it small and reduce the simmer to 3 to 4 minutes, as both cook faster than calabrese.
What’s the difference between chorizo and nduja here?
Chorizo fries crisp and stays in pieces. Nduja melts into the sauce more and makes it hotter and richer. Use whichever you prefer; nduja is the spicier option.
Can I freeze it?
The broccoli base and blended sauce freeze well for up to 3 months though they will loose their vibrance. Cooked pasta and the ricotta don’t, so freeze the sauce alone and cook pasta fresh.
Does it reheat well?
Yes, gently, with a splash of water to loosen. Add the ricotta cold on top.
Can I swap the walnuts?
Toasted hazelnuts or pine nuts both work. Toasted breadcrumbs give crunch without nuts.
