This One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini is a simple and quick pasta dish that also happens to be DELICIOUS.  Orecchiette pasta, turkey sausage, blistered tomatoes and tender broccolini in a light and brothy, lemon parmesan sauce. Serves 4 to 6 in under an hour.

Truth be told, I could eat this whole pan.

It’s a not brainer that sausage and pasta will make anything incredible, but my favorite thing about this dish is how the fresh tomatoes mingle with the garlic, lemon and parmesan. It ends up being apart of the sauce, which as you can imagine, is absolutely delicious. The best way for me to describe it is that it gives the sauce a subtle wine-esqe flavor. Yet there’s no wine in this recipe. Unless you count what’s in my glass (ha!).

I prefer to make my own homemade low-fat turkey sausage to cut out some fat, however you can totally use any sausage you like. Not on a diet, therefore not counting calories? Use traditional italian pork sausage. Want to use store-bought turkey sausage? Go for it! It’s all up to you.

Whatever you do, make this recipe. It’s a refreshingly light pasta dish that is satisfying and full of flavor.

Did I mention you make the whole thing in one pan?

One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini ingredients

To Make This One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini You Will Need:

  • olive oil
  • turkey sausage – homemade or store bought
  • olive oil spray
  • shallot
  • kosher salt
  • cherry tomatoes
  • garlic
  •  red pepper flakes
  • low-sodium chicken broth
  • orecchiette pasta
  • broccolini
  • lemon (zest and juice)
  • black pepper
  • parmesan cheese
  • fresh basil

tukey sausage in skillet

Add 2 teaspoon olive oil to a deep sided skillet. Heat over medium-high and once hot, add in 1 pound turkey sausage.

cooked homemade turkey sausage in skillet

Cook until browned and no longer pink.

browned homemade turkey sausage in skillet

Add a few splashes of water and scrape the bottom of the pan.

cooked turkey sausage in glass bowl.

Transfer the browned, fully cooked turkey sausage to a bowl.

shallots in skillet

Spray the same pan with olive oil and add in 1 finely chopped shallot with a pinch of kosher salt. If using a fattier sausage, you may not need to spray the skillet and just use the fat left in the pan.

garlic, tomatoes and red pepper flakes added to shallots.

Once the shallots are tender, add in 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes, 2 large cloves of minced garlic and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes.

sauteed tomatoes, shallots and garlic in skillet.

Stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes. The garlic should be fragrant and the tomatoes starting to blister.

transfer tomato mixture to bowl with sausage.

Transfer the tomato shallot mixture to the bowl with the sausage.

pour broth into skillet

Pour 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth into the pan, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.

adding orecchiette to broth.

Next add in 8 ounces dry orecchiette. Stir often, cooking for 8 minutes.

add chopped broccolini to pasta

To the pasta and broth, add in 6 to 8 ounces chopped broccolini.

cooked broccolini and pasta.

Stir, occasionally for 4 to 6 minutes or until the fork tender. There may be a little broth left in the pan but that’s quite alright.

It will become the sauce to this pasta dish!

add browned turkey sausage, tomato mixture and lemon zest

To the broccolini and pasta, add the sausage, tomatoes, shallots and garlic, 1 teaspoon lemon zest and juice from 1/2 to 1 full lemon – just depends on how lemony you like it.

toss and sprinkle with parmesan cheese

Stir in 1/4 cup parmesan and tear 1/3 cup (loosely packed) basil. Taste before seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, or to your preference.

I serve this with a glass of Chardonnay and extra parmesan.

Craving a healthy and yet satisfying dinner? This one skillet pasta is your new BFF.

Enjoy! And if you give this One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 6 servings

One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini

This One Pan Lemony Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini is a simple and quick pasta dish that also happens to be DELICIOUS.  Orecchiette pasta, turkey sausage, blistered tomatoes and tender broccolini in a light and brothy, lemon parmesan sauce. Serves 4 to 6 in under an hour.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound turkey sausage
  • olive oil spray
  • 1 large shallot, finely diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 8 ounces dried orecchiette pasta
  • 6 to 8 ounces broccolini, roughly chopped
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1/2 to 1 lemon, juiced
  • black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
  • 1/3 cup basil, torn

Instructions 

  • Add olive oil to a deep sided skillet. Heat over medium-high and once hot, add in the turkey sausage. Cook until browned and no longer pink. Add a few splashes of water and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the browned, fully cooked turkey sausage to a bowl.
  • Spray the same pan with olive oil and add in the shallot with a pinch of kosher salt.*
  • Once the shallots are tender, add in halved cherry tomatoes, minced garlic and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir and cook 1 to 2 minutes. The garlic should be fragrant and the tomatoes just starting to blister. Transfer the tomato shallot mixture to the bowl with the sausage.
  • Pour the low-sodium chicken broth into the pan, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
  • Next add in the dry orecchiette. Stir often, cooking for 8 minutes. To the pasta and remaining broth, add in the chopped broccolini. Stir, occasionally for 4 to 6 minutes or until the fork tender. There may be a little broth left in the pan but that’s quite alright. It will become the sauce to this pasta dish.
  • Once the pasta is cooked and broccolini tender; add the sausage, tomatoes, shallots and garlic back into the pan with 1 teaspoon lemon zest and juice from 1 lemon.
  • Stir in 1/4 cup parmesan and the torn basil. Taste before seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper, or to your preference.

Notes

*If using a fattier sausage, you may not need to spray the skillet and just use the fat left in the pan.
Serving: 1-1/2 cups, Calories: 378kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 1005mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 10g