Orecchiette with Rapini and Sausage

Bitter Greens, Sweet Sausage, Sunday Quiet

There are dishes that feel like they've always existed — not invented so much as remembered. Orecchiette with rapini and sausage is one of them. The slight bitterness of the greens, the yielding richness of the meat, the way the small ear-shaped pasta cups everything gently and holds it close. It's a weeknight meal that carries the weight of something older, slower. The kind of thing you make without consulting a recipe after the third or fourth time, guided instead by smell and instinct and a soft simmer on the stove.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
• 1/4 cups Alessi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced or 2 tsp Alessi Garlic Puree
• 1-2 pounds rapini, rinsed and cut into pieces
• hot pepper flakes
• Alessi Sea Salt and Alessi Black Peppercorns
• 1 pound organic orecchiette, cooked al dente
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cups Romano cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Cook Italian sausage in a heavy saucepan until done.
2. Remove and allow to cool.
3. Slice into 1/4" thick rounds and set aside.
4. Drain grease from pan and add olive oil.
5. Saute garlic and add rapini. Cover and cook until tender, being careful not to overcook.
6. Add sausage, hot pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss well.
7. Add cooked, drained pasta, butter, and grated cheese. Toss and serve immediately.