Best Green With Envy Orecchiette And Red Wine Braised Sausages Recipes

BROCCOLI RABE AND ORECCHIETTE

Steps:

• Place a pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil for pasta. Cover pot to bring water to a boil. Salt the water to season it and add half a pound of "little ears" pasta. Cook to al dente, about 7 minutes.
• Trim ends off broccoli rabe, coarsely chop it and add it to a deep skillet. Add 2 or 3 cups of water to the pan. Cover the pan and bring the broccoli rabe to a boil. When the rabe wilts down into the pan, salt it. Simmer the rabe for about 7 minutes until tender and no longer bitter. The color should remain deep green. Drain the rabe and reserve. Return the deep skillet to the stove and place it over medium heat. Add 5 turns of the pan of extra-virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and saute 2 to3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broccoli rabe and turn to coat them in garlic oil. Drain pasta reserving 3/4 cup of pasta water. Add the pasta and water to the pan. Toss pasta and broccoli rabe with lots of grated cheese, salt and pepper, to your taste. Serve immediately.

GREEN WITH ENVY ORECCHIETTE AND RED WINE BRAISED SAUSAGES

Steps:

• Place sausages in a skillet and add wine and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the pan. Place pan over medium-high heat and let the wine reduce and evaporate, 15 to 18 minutes. Eventually, the casings will crisp up and the wine and oil will glaze the casings. Place a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Salt water and cook to al dente. Heads up: you will need 1 1/2 cups, a couple of ladles, starchy cooking water just before you drain the orecchiette. Toast hazelnuts 5 minutes over medium-low heat in a small skillet. Cool a few minutes. Place the chives, garlic, tarragon, salt and pepper and nuts into food processor and turn it on. Stream in about 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and process the ingredients into a smooth but thick sauce. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and stir in the cheese. The color is stronger if you stir rather than process the cheese into the sauce. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high to high heat. Add greens, minced garlic and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Sear greens, tossing them as they wilt down, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cooking liquids to pesto in bowl then add pasta and greens and toss to coat the pasta and let the flavors absorb, 1 minute. Serve 2 braised sausages with lots of greens alongside.

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND RED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Remove sausage meat from casings. In a large heavy skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook sausage, stirring to break up lumps, until golden. Transfer sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate and pour off all but about 3 tablespoons of fat from skillet. Add bell peppers and garlic to skillet with salt and pepper to taste and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until bell peppers are softened, about 5 minutes.
• In a blender or food processor coarsely purée tomatoes with juice and stir into bell pepper mixture with sausage. Simmer sauce, covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Sauce may be made ahead, cooled completely, uncovered, and chilled, covered, 1 day or frozen 1 month.
• In an 8-quart kettle bring 7 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook orecchiette until al dente (about 6 minutes for fresh, longer for dried) and drain in a colander. In a large heated bowl immediately toss pasta with sauce.