Zucchini, Sausage, and Broccoli Rabe

It’s safe to say that this is going to be a “spiralizer summer” for me!

The spiralizer really is such a neat kitchen tool!  And, it offers so many possibilities!  I used it to make zucchini ribbons for this recipe.  My inspiration came from this recipe by Ali at inspiralized.com (a fellow NJ food blogger).  I “husband-proofed” my version, which mainly consists of doubling (or in this case, tripling) the amount of meat.  I only had 3 pretty teeny zucchinis in my house, so I also doubled the amount of broccoli rabe.

The flavors of this meal were really spot on.  Garlic, sausage in all natural sausage casing, and broccoli rabe pair so well together already.  And, the combination of the chicken broth and Parmesan cheese created a flavorful sauce.  The zucchini “ribbons” tied everything together.  The spice from the hot sausage was the perfect amount.  Next time, I may use the shredder blade on my spiralizer instead of the slicer one.  I think I would prefer spaghetti-like zucchini noodles in this recipe.

Start with the sausage…

• Slice 1 package of hot Italian sausage links into bite-sized chunks.

• Heat some EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

• Add the sausage.

• Cook for a few minutes.
• Mince up some garlic.

• Add the garlic to the skillet.  (You want to add it after the sausage already begins to brown so that it does not burn.  Burnt garlic is not a pleasant flavor at all!)

• At this point, the recipe said to season the sausage with a little dried oregano and s&p.  I planned on doing that, but it never happened.  I honestly didn’t miss the added seasonings, but feel free to use them if you’d like!  (What can I say?  Sometimes I get distracted with the camera and forget a few steps!)
• Cook the sausage, flipping the pieces once, until caramelized (aka browned) and delicious.

• Push the sausage to one side of the skillet.

• Roughly chop 1 bunch of broccoli rabe.
• Add the broccoli rabe to the empty side of the skillet.

• Season with a little crushed red pepper flake.  (I used it sparingly since I went with hot sausage.  If you use mild sausage or if you really enjoy spice, add more.)

• Stir to combine the broccoli and sausage.
• Pour in a little chicken broth.

• Gently scrap up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a spoon.
• Let everything cook for a few minutes.

• Spiralize 3 small zucchini using the slicer blade.  (Use the shredded one if you want spaghetti-like noodles.)

• Add the zucchini to the skillet.

• Stir and let cook for a few minutes, until the zucchini has softened.

• Squeeze in a little lemon juice, just to brighten everything up.
• Add a decent amount of grated Parmesan cheese to the skillet.

• Stir until all of the cheese melts into the sauce.

Although it is bathing suit season, you may want to serve some crusty bread with this dish to mop up the amazing sauce.  It’s got great flavor!

You will also probably want to sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese on top when serving.

Enjoy!

One Year Ago: Sesame Soy Spinach

Zucchini, Sausage, and Broccoli Rabe (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 links hot Italian sausage, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe, large stems removed and roughly chopped
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flake
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 3 small zucchini, spiralized through the slicer blade
• juice from half a lemon
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the sausage and the garlic.
• Let cook for a minute, then season with the salt, black pepper, and oregano.
• Cook the sausage, flipping once, until brown on both sides.
• Push the sausage to one side of the skillet, then add the broccoli rabe.
• Season with the red pepper flake.
• Stir to combine.
• Pour in the chicken broth.
• Stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
• Add the zucchini and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Squeeze in the lemon juice.
• Add the cheese.
• Stir to distribute the cheese.

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