I made this dish for my family thinking there would be plenty of leftovers for the next day.  Nope.  It was devoured that night. 

Serves 6-8

1 lb Orecchiette pasta
1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped
1 lb homemade turkey sausage (recipe below)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Quickly blanch the broccoli rabe and remove with a spider or slotted spoon.  Drain and reserve.  Bring the water back to a boil and drop in the pasta. 

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Drizzle in about ¼ cup olive oil, and brown the sausage.  Add the garlic, lemon zest and broccoli rabe.  Mix well and continue to sauté over low heat. 

When orecchiette is al dente, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.  Add the pasta to the sausage & rabe, along with the pasta water.  Gently sauté until the liquid has been absorbed and there is a nice sauce coating the pasta.  Give another drizzle of olive oil if desired, and season with salt and pepper.  Serve. 
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Homemade Turkey Sausage

Making sausage requires equipment, time and ingredients that most home cooks don’t have time for or access to (like fat back and meat grinders).  Plus they can be loaded with fat and cholesterol.  This recipe uses store-bought ground turkey meat for an easy and healthy faux-sausage.  And with the perfect combination of spices that give you a full flavor, spicy meat, you won’t miss the fat!  If you don’t like spice, leave you the chili flakes and pepper. 

2 lbs ground turkey (dark meat preferably)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp each: garlic, smoked paprika, dried oregano
1 tsp each: fennel seeds, salt, black pepper
½ tsp each: red chili flakes, ground chipotle pepper (or cayenne)

Mix all ingredients well.  Form into sausage patties or brown in a skillet for sausage crumbles.  Use immediately or freeze.