July 11, 2026
URL: https://www.birdseye.com/recipes/lunch/italian-sausage-and-broccoli-pasta-10261
- Prep time 30 minutes
- Total time 30 minutes
- Servings 6
Ingredients
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1 pound orecchiette or shell pasta, uncooked
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1 bag (10.8 oz each) Birds Eye® Steamfresh Broccoli Florets
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 pound Italian pork sausage links, casings removed
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3 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
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1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
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1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
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2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Nutrition Information
607 calories, 68g carbs
Directions
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Step one
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Just before draining pasta, ladle out 2 cups of pasta water into a heat-proof glass measuring cup. Drain pasta.
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Step two
While pasta is cooking, microwave broccoli according to package directions. Pour broccoli out onto a large cutting board and chop it into small pieces.
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Step three
Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and Italian sausage to skillet and cook until sausage is browned and starting to get crispy, about 6 minutes, stirring to break up the large pieces. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until garlic is softened, about a minute.
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Step four
Pour in reserved pasta cooking liquid and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add Parmesan a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly.
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Step five
Stir in pasta, broccoli and butter until butter is melted and sauce coats the pasta. Garnish Italian sausage and broccoli pasta with additional cheese, if desired and serve.
Tips
If desired, cook and drain 4 cups Birds Eye® Broccoli Florets in place of the Steamfresh Broccoli.