Skip to main content
"Little Ears" Pasta

"Little Ears" Pasta

Serves as a Holiday Side Dish or a Regular Main

Recipe Development Team
Recipe Development TeamPublished on October 05, 2017

The backbone of this dish is orecchiette—a round-shaped pasta named for the “little ears” they resemble. The pasta is tossed with bites of broccoli and sweet sausage, and then given a nice coating of basil-packing pesto and Parmesan cheese. It works wonderfully as a side dish for 6-8 hungry mouths (just in time for Thanksgiving), but you can also enjoy it as a meal for two any night of the week.

Tags:
Spicy
Allergens:
Wheat
Milk

The quantities provided above are averages only.

Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.

Total Time25 minutes
Prep Time
DifficultyEasy

Ingredients

serving amount

8 ounce

Baby Broccoli

9 ounce

Sweet Italian Pork Sausage

6 ounce

Orecchiette Pasta

(Contains: Wheat)

1 teaspoon

Chili Flakes

2 ounce

Pesto

(Contains: Milk)

¼ cup

Parmesan Cheese

(Contains: Milk)

Not included in your delivery

2 teaspoon

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Nutrition Values

/ per serving
Energy (kJ)1255 kJ
Calories300 kcal
Fat13 g
Saturated Fat3.5 g
Carbohydrate26 g
Sugar2 g
Dietary Fiber2 g
Protein13 g
Cholesterol20 mg
Sodium360 mg
Due to the different suppliers we purchase our products from, nutritional facts per meal can vary from the website to what is received in the delivered box, depending on your region.

Utensils

Large Pot
Strainer
Large Pan

Instructions

Prep
1

Wash and dry all produce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut any large broccoli florets into bite-size pieces. Remove sausage from casings.

Boil Pasta
2

Once water is boiling, add orecchiette to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-12 minutes. Carefully scoop out and reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

Cook Broccoli
3

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add broccoli and 2 tsp water. Cover and steam 3 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium high. Cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, 3-6 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from pan and set aside.

Cook Sausage
4

Heat another drizzle of olive oil in same pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking up meat into pieces. Cook until crisp at edges and no longer pink, 4-5 minutes. Add a pinch of chili flakes (to taste) and cook another 30 seconds.

Toss Pasta
5

Add orecchiette, broccoli, pesto, pasta cooking water, and half the Parmesan to pan. Toss until everything is well-coated and a thick sauce has formed, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate and Serve
6

Transfer pasta mixture to a serving dish (or serve it straight from the pan). Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and serve, letting everyone help themselves.

Meal right image

Explore Similar Recipes

Meal left image

More delicious recipes with similar ingredients

Chicken, Mozz & Creamy Pesto Panini

Chicken, Mozz & Creamy Pesto Panini

with Tomato, Arugula Salad & Dijon Vinaigrette
Chinese-Style Super-Speedy Beef Lo Mein

Chinese-Style Super-Speedy Beef Lo Mein

with Garlic Chili Oil & Sesame Seeds
Herbed Chicken Over Apple & Kale Salad

Herbed Chicken Over Apple & Kale Salad

with Parmesan, Dried Cranberries & Dijon Dressing
Shrimp & Butternut Squash Agnolotti

Shrimp & Butternut Squash Agnolotti

with Garlic Cream Sauce & Roasted Bell Pepper
Chicken & Roasted Bell Pepper Pasta

Chicken & Roasted Bell Pepper Pasta

with Creamy Parmesan Garlic Tomato Sauce
Bistro Steak with Mushrooms & Polenta Cakes

Bistro Steak with Mushrooms & Polenta Cakes

plus Roasted Green Beans
Chicken Parmigiana with Ricotta Ravioli

Chicken Parmigiana with Ricotta Ravioli

Elevated Dinners, Impressively Easy
Creamy Lemon Dill Spaghetti & Chicken

Creamy Lemon Dill Spaghetti & Chicken

with Blistered Grape Tomatoes & Chili Flakes
One-Pot Italian Vegetable & Beef Soup

One-Pot Italian Vegetable & Beef Soup

with Kale, Israeli Couscous & Garlic Bread
Warm Steak, Kale & Sweet Potato Salad

Warm Steak, Kale & Sweet Potato Salad

Elevated Dinners, Impressively Easy
Lemony Spaghetti with Chicken & Brussels

Lemony Spaghetti with Chicken & Brussels

sprinkled with Toasted Panko & Scallions
Penne with Chicken & Tomatoes

Penne with Chicken & Tomatoes

plus Spinach, Garlic Butter Breadcrumbs & Parmesan
Bacon, Asparagus & Grape Tomato Cavatappi

Bacon, Asparagus & Grape Tomato Cavatappi

with Basil & Parmesan
Shrimp & Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti

Shrimp & Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti

with Fresh Parsley, Almonds & Parmesan
Chicken Sausage, Garlic & Zucchini Flatbreads

Chicken Sausage, Garlic & Zucchini Flatbreads

with White Sauce, Mozzarella & Grape Tomatoes
Pesto & Walnut Panko Cavatappi

Pesto & Walnut Panko Cavatappi

with Blistered Grape Tomatoes, Asparagus & Parmesan
Chicken Pesto & Walnut Panko Cavatappi

Chicken Pesto & Walnut Panko Cavatappi

with Blistered Grape Tomatoes, Asparagus & Parmesan
Shrimp Pesto & Walnut Panko Cavatappi

Shrimp Pesto & Walnut Panko Cavatappi

with Blistered Grape Tomatoes, Asparagus & Parmesan
Chinese Spicy Kung Pao-Style Chicken

Chinese Spicy Kung Pao-Style Chicken

with Chicken Thighs, Bell Pepper, Peanuts & Jasmine Rice
Lombardy-Style Shrimp & Spinach Risotto

Lombardy-Style Shrimp & Spinach Risotto

with Lemon & Parmesan

This week's must-try HelloFresh recipes