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Puglia · Cavatelli e Broccoli

Cavatelli con Salsiccia e Broccoli

Small ridged pasta shells with crumbled fennel sausage and tender broccoli florets, lightly dressed in olive oil and chili.

Total

35 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

25 min

Serves

4

EasyPuglieseRusticQuickOne-potComfort
Cavatelli con Salsiccia e Broccoli — Cavatelli e Broccoli

The Story

Where it comes from

In Puglia, cavatelli are made by dragging small pieces of semolina dough across a wooden board, creating tiny shells that cradle sauce in their ridges. Paired with crumbled salsiccia and bright green broccoli, it's a dish of farmers and fishermen — hearty, direct, and deeply Southern Italian.

Mise en Place

Ingredients

For 4 servings. Quantities are by weight where it matters — Italian cooking is a math of grams and minutes.

For the pasta

  • Cavatelli

    fresh or dried

    400 g

  • Coarse sea salt

    for water

For the sauce

  • Fresh Italian sausage

    mild or sweet, casings removed

    400 g

  • Broccoli florets

    cut small

    400 g

  • Garlic

    sliced

    3 cloves

  • Red chili flakes

    ½ tsp

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

    60 ml

  • White wine

    optional

    60 ml

To finish

  • Pecorino Romano

    grated

    40 g

Equipment

Large potWide skilletWooden spoon

The Method

Chef-led, step by step

  1. 1

    Brown the sausage

    10 min

    Crumble sausage into a hot skillet with a splash of olive oil. Cook until deeply browned and any liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Cook broccoli and pasta together

    10 min

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli florets, cook 3 minutes, then add cavatelli. Cook until pasta is al dente.

  3. 3

    Build the sauce

    2 min

    Add sliced garlic and chili to the sausage. Cook 1 minute until fragrant. Deglaze with wine if using.

  4. 4

    Toss and finish

    3 min

    Drain pasta and broccoli, reserving a cup of water. Toss into the skillet with sausage. Add pasta water as needed to emulsify. Finish with pecorino.

Chef tips

  • ·Cook pasta and broccoli in the same water — the broccoli flavors the pasta.
  • ·Use fresh cavatelli if you can find it. The texture is incomparable.
  • ·A splash of pasta water is your emulsifier — don't drain it all away.

Common mistakes

  • ·Overcooking the broccoli — it should be tender but still bright green.
  • ·Using spicy sausage — it overwhelms the broccoli's sweetness.
  • ·Skipping the browning. Pale sausage = pale flavor.

The Cellar

Wine pairings

Primitivo di Manduria

Puglia

Bold, dark fruit that stands up to the sausage without overpowering the broccoli.

Verdeca

Puglia

Crisp local white with enough body for the richness.

Shopping List

What to bring home

  • Cavatelli400 g
  • Coarse sea saltfor water
  • Fresh Italian sausage400 g
  • Broccoli florets400 g
  • Garlic3 cloves
  • Red chili flakes½ tsp
  • Extra-virgin olive oil60 ml
  • White wine60 ml
  • Pecorino Romano40 g

Questions

Frequently asked

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