Sausage & Broccoli Rabe

What You'll Need:
- 1 Pkg of Sausage

• I like to buy sweet Italian sausage, or a hot & sweet sausage combo pack (usually the package has 6 links)

- 1 Bunch of Broccoli Rabe

- 1 Pkg of Pasta

• I like to use rigatoni, but it doesn't really matter. The brand I always buy is Colavita, but if that isn't available, I'd use Barilla.

- Fresh Mozzarella

• I typically buy Bel Giosioso, and I buy the one that is already sliced
• This can be left out if you are lactose-intolerant 

- Olive Oil

- At least 5 Cloves of Garlic
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Dried Parsley (optional)

How Long It'll Take: 
- Prep time isn't too long with this one. Like most of my meals, I tend to work as I go, but if you're more comfortable prepping everything beforehand, then I'd say this will take about 15 minutes to prep, and another 25-30 to cook.

Let's Get Started: 
1. The first thing I always do when starting this meal is clean my broccoli rabe. I rinse it really well with cold water, cut the hard stems off the bottom, and then put it in a big bowl of water to soak again until I'm ready to use it.

2. In a VERY LARGE PAN (large enough to eventually hold your sausage, broccoli rabe, and pasta), put a little bit of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and set the heat to medium. Wait until the pan heats up, and put your sausage in to get it going.

3. Start your pasta by putting your pot of water on a burner on high heat. Complete the next steps while you're waiting for it to boil.

4. Set up another pot to steam your broccoli rabe. You'll need a medium-sized pot with a cover. If you don't have a steaming basket, just fill about an inch of water in the bottom of the pot, set it to the side for later. DO NOT TURN THE HEAT ON YET.

5. While your sausage is cooking and your water is heating up, you'll want to start prepping your garlic and mozzarella. I like to use a TON of garlic - if that's not your style, feel free to use less. I peel approximately 5-6 cloves of garlic, and then thinly slice them. As thin as you possibly can. Set them aside in a prep bowl. Make sure you are watching your sausage and sporadically turn it as needed. 

6. I then chop my mozzarella into little pieces. If you get the pre-sliced fresh mozzarella (16oz. pkg), take about half of the package and place it neatly in a stack on your cutting board. You can then cut it three times in each direction to make little cubes.

7. When your pasta water is boiling, add your pasta to the pot. I am usually cooking this for two people, and I use a half a pound of pasta. If you are cooking for a family of four, increase the amount of pasta and sausage as needed. Don't forget to salt your pasta water!! 

8. Once your sausage has cooked well-enough (you don't want it to be raw, but it's okay if it's not totally cooked yet, it will still have time to continue cooking), take it out of the pan and set it aside on your cutting board.

9. Drain your broccoli rabe and put it in the pot you have ready on the stove with a handful of your sliced garlic. Drizzle a little olive oil over the broccoli rabe, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat until the pasta is done.

10. In the pan that you were using to cook your sausage, start your olive oil "sauce." Start by putting enough oil to heavily cover the bottom of the pan. Add a dash of salt, a generous amount of black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to the oil, as well as the rest of your sliced garlic. Set the heat on medium-low.

11. Begin to slice your sausage in thin slices. I like to do a slanted cut, so my slices are a bit longer than the width of the sausage, but it doesn't really matter how you slice it, only that the pieces are about the same size. Also, a thinner slice will cook faster if your sausage isn't completely cooked at this point. (NOTE: It should be totally cooked on the outside, this will prevent it from falling apart when you slice it.)

12. In the pot with your oil, your garlic should be browning nicely - NOT burning. Add your sliced sausage to the oil. Continue to stir periodically until you're ready to serve.

13. Right before your pasta is ready, add your broccoli rabe to the pot with the oil and sausage. If there is leftover water in the broccoli rabe pot, do not put that water into your pan. Just the broccoli rabe.

14. When your pasta is ready, scoop it out of the pot with the water and into the pot with the oil. (I prefer this method to straining the pasta and dumping it in, because I like to add some of the leftover pasta water, and I tend to forget if I strain the pasta. If you prefer to strain, save some of the pasta water first.) I use about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup.

13. Add your leftover pasta water. Mix everything together.

14. As you're mixing, add your pieces of fresh mozzarella, and sprinkle in some parsley.

15. After the mozzarella begins to melt, you should be ready to eat. Enjoy!

Notes:
- All of your sausage should be completely cooked.
- Your broccoli rabe should be tender, but not mushy. If you prefer it to be softer, you should cook it longer, or cook it to taste FIRST before completing the rest of these steps.
- Also, if you've never cooked broccoli rabe before, it's going to reduce a TON. I know using the entire bunch looks like a lot, but trust me it's not. If you're only cooking for yourself, or just two people (who don't have large appetites, or maybe have never had broccoli rabe before, you can try using half a bunch, but it's really not going to yield much.)
- Sometimes I add in a chopped onion to my oil during step 10. This makes the dish a little sweeter, which can be nice and also help switch things up if you make this frequently. I recommend trying that once you're comfortable making the standard dish.
- For a "fancier" version of this, sub the mozzarella for goat cheese, dry parsley for fresh parsley, and add some pine nuts!