Mains & Entrees
Broccolini: One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and
This One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini is a simple and short pasta dish that also happens to be SAVORY. Orecchiette pasta, turkey sausage, blistered tomatoes and tender broccolini in a light and
- Serves 6 servings
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 40 minutes
- Total 50 minutes

This One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini is a simple and speedy pasta dish that also happens to be FLAVOR-PACKED. Orecchiette pasta, turkey sausage, blistered tomatoes and tender broccolini in a light and brothy, lemon parmesan sauce. Serves 4 to 6 in under an hour.
Truth be told, I could eat this whole pan.
It’s a not brainer that sausage and pasta will make anything striking, but my go-to thing about this dish is how the fresh tomatoes mingle with the garlic, lemon and parmesan. It ends up being apart of the sauce, which as you can imagine, is completely savory. The dependable way for me to describe it is that it gives the sauce a subtle wine-esqe flavor. Yet there’s no wine in this method. Unless you count what’s in my glass (ha!).
I prefer to make my own from-scratch low-fat turkey sausage to cut out some fat, however you can completely use any sausage you like. Not on a diet, therefore not counting calories? Use old-style italian pork sausage. Want to use store-bought turkey sausage? Go for it! It’s all up to you.
Whatever you do, make this method. It’s a refreshingly light pasta dish that is satisfying and full of flavor.
Did I mention you make the whole thing in one pan?
To cook this One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini Gather:
- olive oil
- turkey sausage – from-scratch or store bought
- olive oil spray
- shallot
- kosher salt
- cherry tomatoes
- garlic
- red pepper flakes
- low-sodium chicken broth
- orecchiette pasta
- broccolini
- lemon (zest and juice)
- black pepper
- parmesan cheese
- fresh basil
Add 2 teaspoon olive oil to a deep sided skillet. Heat over medium-high and once hot, add in 1 pound turkey sausage.
Cook until browned and no longer pink.
Add a few splashes of water and scrape the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the browned, fully cooked turkey sausage to a bowl.
Spray the same pan with olive oil and add in 1 finely chopped shallot with a pinch of kosher salt. If using a fattier sausage, you may not need to spray the skillet and only use the fat left in the pan.
Once the shallots are tender, add in 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, 2 large cloves of minced garlic and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes.
Stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes. The garlic should be fragrant and the tomatoes starting to blister.
Transfer the tomato shallot mixture to the bowl with the sausage.
Pour 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth into the pan, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
Next add in 8 ounces dry orecchiette. Stir often, cooking for 8 minutes.
To the pasta and broth, add in 6 to 8 ounces chopped broccolini.
Stir, occasionally for 4 to 6 minutes or until the fork tender. There may be a little broth left in the pan but that’s quite alright.
To the broccolini and pasta, add the sausage, tomatoes, shallots and garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and juice from 1/2 to 1 full lemon – only depends on how lemony you like it.
Stir in 1/4 cup parmesan and tear 1/3 cup (loosely packed) basil. Taste before seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, or to your preference.
I serve this with a glass of Chardonnay and extra parmesan.
Craving a healthy and yet satisfying dinner? This one skillet pasta is your new BFF.
Enjoy! And if you give this One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
The recipe
Broccolini: One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and
This One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini is a simple and short pasta dish that also happens to be FLAVOR-PACKED. Orecchiette pasta, turkey sausage, blistered tomatoes and tender broccolini in a light and brothy, lemon parmesan sauce. Serves 4 to 6 in under an hour.
- Serves 6 servings
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 40 minutes
- Total 50 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound turkey sausage
- olive oil spray
- 1 large shallot (finely diced)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounces dried orecchiette pasta
- 6 to 8 ounces broccolini (roughly chopped)
- 1 lemon (zested)
- 1/2 to 1 lemon (juiced)
- black pepper (freshly ground)
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated, plus more for serving)
- 1/3 cup basil (torn)
Method
- 1
Add olive oil to a deep sided skillet. Heat over medium-high and once hot, add in the turkey sausage. Cook until browned and no longer pink. Add a few splashes of water and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the browned, fully cooked turkey sausage to a bowl.
- 2
Spray the same pan with olive oil and add in the shallot with a pinch of kosher salt.*
- 3
Once the shallots are tender, add in halved cherry tomatoes, minced garlic and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes. The garlic should be fragrant and the tomatoes only starting to blister. Transfer the tomato shallot mixture to the bowl with the sausage.
- 4
Pour the low-sodium chicken broth into the pan, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- 5
Next add in the dry orecchiette. Stir often, cooking for 8 minutes. To the pasta and remaining broth, add in the chopped broccolini. Stir, occasionally for 4 to 6 minutes or until the fork tender. There may be a little broth left in the pan but that’s quite alright. It will become the sauce to this pasta dish.
- 6
Once the pasta is cooked and broccolini tender; add the sausage, tomatoes, shallots and garlic back into the pan with 1 teaspoon lemon zest and juice from 1 lemon.
- 7
Stir in 1/4 cup parmesan and the torn basil. Taste before seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper, or to your preference.
From the cook
*If using a fattier sausage, you may not need to spray the skillet and simply use the fat left in the pan.
Tools
- Staub Cast Iron 3.5-qt Braiser with Glass Lid - Grenadine
Per serving
- Serving1 -1/2 cups
- Calories378 kcal
- Carbohydrates38 g
- Protein27 g
- Fat15 g
- Saturated Fat3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat9 g
- Cholesterol74 mg
- Sodium1005 mg
- Fiber10 g
- Sugar10 g








