Evan's Last Week: Day One

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My darlin' husband flies out to MF Los Angeles a week from today. Sigh. So I asked him what meals he'd like and they all turn out to be some of my favorites too. I thought I'd share them with you all.

Last night I made Cook's Illustrated's Orecchiette with Broccoli, Sausage and Roasted Peppers. It's a great hearty pasta that reheats really well for lunch a day or two later. Usually, I heat up whatever the adults had last night for the kids to eat at 6pm and I make Evan's and my dinner after they go to bed. We're hoping to have more family meals once we move, and this is a favorite of everyone. My comments to the original recipe are in italic.

1 pound orecchiette (we've also used bow-ties successfully)
4 ounces sweet Italian sausage , casing removed We use 2 or 3 spicy ones instead, the kind you get at Costco.
9 medium cloves garlic , pressed through garlic press or minced (3 tablespoons)
1 cup roasted red peppers (8 ounces), cut into ½-inch squares
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds broccoli , florets cut into bite-sized 1-inch pieces, stalks peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into ¼-inch thick pieces I made this last night with the leftover broccoli from the Costco veggie tray from the party.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (2 ounces) If you don't have Romano, you can get away with Parm, but this recipe is reason enough to keep a hunk of Romano around. Use the leftovers in a risotto. I like to halve this recipe, which is really simple and delicious with roasted chicken breasts, tomatoes and brussel sprouts. Just toss a pound of brussel sprouts and a pint or two of grape tomatoes in a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, roast brussels in a pan at 450 degrees for 10 min, add chicken breasts and stir to coat, roast another ten min, then add tomatoes. Roast until everything is crispy and yummy and serve over risotto. You'll be glad you did.

1. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil, covered, in stockpot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta, stir to separate, and cook until al dente. Drain and return to stockpot.
Here's me again. Orecchiette is a big old PITA to cook. You really need to use plenty of water, plenty of salt, and stir almost constantly. When it's done, I like to drizzle in a little olive oil and give it a vigorous stir to keep the little ears from nesting inside each other.
2. While pasta is cooking, cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces with spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, roasted peppers, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to high; add broccoli and ½ cup water, then cover and cook until broccoli begins to turn bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring frequently, until water has evaporated and broccoli is tender, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add broccoli mixture, oil, and cheese to pasta in stockpot; toss to combine. Serve immediately.