Salsiccia e Friarielli
Salsiccia e Friarielli
Sausage and Bitter Greens
Seasoned pork sausage and bitter greens is a classic combination of the Bay of Naples. The pair makes an appearance as a pizza topping, pasta condiment, and savory pie filling. Pork and greens are great on their own, too, and make a quick and easy weeknight dinner. If you’re cooking them on Procida, Ischia, or Capri, you can simply ask the butcher for sausages flavored to your liking, as a wide array is always available at their butcher shops, from garlic-and-chile-spiked to merely salted. Italian butchers in the US tend to offer similar flavor options, too.
Ingredients (6)
Ingredients (6)
Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water until it tastes like a seasoned soup.
Working in batches as needed, add the broccoli rabe and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the broccoli rabe with tongs or a spider and drain in a colander; repeat with the remaining batches, allowing the water to return to a boil after each batch. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
When the oil begins to shimmer, add the sausages and cook, turning them occasionally, until the sausages are brown all over and the juices run clear when pricked with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes.
Set aside on a platter.
In the same pan the sausages were cooked in, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over low heat.
When the oil begins to simmer, add the garlic and cook until it just starts to take color, 3 minutes.
Add the red pepper flakes (if using) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the broccoli rabe to the pan with a splash of the reserved cooking water, adding more as needed to keep the greens moist, and cook until very soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
Transfer the broccoli rabe to the platter with the sausages and serve.
This recipe is part of the Food of the Italian Islands digital cookbook, and is only available once you've purchased the cookbook.
Purchase ($25.00)
