The minute I saw Molly Baz and Adam Rapoport make broccoli Bolognese – aka brocco Bolo – in the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen, I knew I had to recreate it. Five days later, that’s exactly what I did. My only regret? Halving the original recipe to yield fewer servings.
For the record, Adam admits there’s nothing authentic about broccoli Bolognese. But it’s hearty and delicious nonetheless.
All you need are a handful of ingredients and two large pots to prepare orecchiette with broccoli Bolognese. Once you’ve gathered the provisions, assembly is a breeze. Serve the pasta as a primo piatto or main course alongside a green salad.
Special thanks to Clover Sonoma for providing the Culinary Butter featured in this post.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
- ¾ pound broccoli, stems peeled and cut into ½" pieces and florets cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes
- ⅓ pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from its casing
- 8 ounces orecchiette
- 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter (see notes)
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Transfer broccoli to a cutting board and reserve water. When cool enough to handle, chop broccoli into small pieces and set aside.
- In another large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer garlic to a small bowl and set aside. Add chili flakes and sausage to pot and brown, breaking it into bite-size pieces with a spoon.
- Meanwhile, bring reserved water to a boil. Cook orecchiette until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add prepared broccoli and garlic and ½ cup reserved cooking liquid to pot with sausage; mash up mixture with a potato masher and bring to a simmer.
- Add cooked pasta to pot with sauce and stir to combine. Add butter and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and stir vigorously until combined. If necessary, add additional cooking liquid to loosen the sauce. Garnish with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve immediately.
