Orecchiette with Vegan Sausage and Broccolini

This recipe for pasta with broccolini and crumbled vegan sausage is a spin-off of an Italian classic. Broccolini has a pleasant earthy flavor that is the perfect contrast to the smoky and sweet vegan sausage crumbles. Paired with orecchiette, a pasta that will catch the crumbles and light olive oil sauce in its ear-shaped cups, this pasta is delicious and satisfying in every bite.

Traditionally, you would use broccoli rabe instead of broccolini but I sometimes have trouble finding broccoli rabe in Colorado. Broccoli rabe is a vegetable that’s popular in Southern Italy. It’s similar to broccoli and broccolini, except it’s much more leafy and bitter. Broccolini is a very delicious and wholesome vegetable. Plus, it’s a beautiful dark green, which shows the nutritious density of it. If you can find broccoli rabe in your market, feel free to substitute but, if not, this dish still comes together beautifully with broccolini.

There are a few steps to make this dish. First, you’ll want to make the Italian sausage crumbles. Our homemade TVP Italian Sausage Crumbles recipe is perfect to round out the dish. It’s easy to make and is mostly hands off and in the oven until browned and crispy. If you want to save some time, you can purchase your favorite vegan sausage brand and use that instead.

Next, you’ll need fresh garlic, and orecchiette pasta. Easy and simple ingredients. The orecchiette is such a good pasta for this dish because the shape of it helps catch the vegan sausage crumbles so you get something tasty in every bite.

Once the sausage crumbles are ready and the pasta is cooked, the dish comes together in only a few minutes. This recipe for orecchiette with vegan sausage and broccolini is truly a simple dish that’s also wholesome and satisfying. Enjoy!

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Orrechiette with Broccolini and Vegan Sausage

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

This recipe for pasta with broccolini and crumbled vegan sausage is a spin-off of an Italian classic. Broccolini has a pleasant earthy flavor that is the perfect contrast to the smoky and sweet vegan sausage crumbles. Paired with orecchiette, a pasta that will catch the crumbles and light olive oil sauce in its ear-shaped cups, this pasta is delicious and satisfying in every bite.

Course: Dinner, Entree, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: broccoli rabe, broccolini, orecchiette, pasta, Vegan Sausage

Servings: 4 servings

Calories per Serving: 543 kcal

Ingredients

vegan sausage crumbles

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

additional ingredients

• 1 pound broccolini
• 12 ounces orecchiette pasta
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

to make the vegan sausage crumbles

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F/230°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a medium pot, stir together water, liquid smoke, soy sauce and maple syrup. Heat on medium until the mixture comes to a light boil.

3. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl mix TVP, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, fennel, thyme and black pepper. Stir into pot and lower the heat.

4. Cover the pot and heat on low for 5 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Then, transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until crispy. 

to prepare the dish

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the broccolini and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using tongs, remove the broccolini and rinse with cold water to stop it from overcooking. Chop coarsely and set aside.

2. Add the orecchiette pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, following the package directions. When the pasta is ready, reserve about one cup of the water and set aside. Drain pasta in a colander.

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic slices and cook until they are just starting to brown. Then, add the broccolini and vegan sausage crumbles. Stir to combine and heat for about 2 minutes.

4. Lower the heat and add the pasta to the pan. Stir to combine, adjusting the consistency with the reserved pasta water if desired. Top with red pepper flakes and vegan parmesan. Drizzle lightly with extra virgin olive oil. Serve warm.