Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Penne

I've been trying to document more of my weeknight meals.  On the one hand, to prove that I am not such a total lush and, second, to provide some alternatives to the weekend meals which take a lot more time to prepare.  I was speaking with a friend at work the other day, and she asked what I'd be making this weekend.  I explained that I had several pounds of grass-fed beef short-ribs in the fridge that I was looking to fix up, but that I didn't know if I'd have the four or five hours it takes to make the damn things...  She laughed at me 'cause clearly she thought it ridiculous that anyone has that much time for cooking.  Well, as you can see, I think I've stepped beyond the hobby line and I'm moving into new territory...  I think, if you have fun doing it, and it tastes good when your done, then why not spend that kind of time?

Anyway, I'll let you in on how the ribs turned out in my next post, but for now:  a weeknight pasta dish.  I made this a couple weeks ago, but am just getting around to putting it up now.  It turned out quite nice.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. whole wheat penne rigate
• 28 oz. strained tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups broccoli rabe (also called rapini or broccolini) (coarsely chopped)
• 4 links sweet italian chicken sausage (sliced 1/2 in. thick)
• 4-5 cloves garlic (diced)
• 8 oz. shitake mushrooms (stems removed)
• 1 med. yellow onion (sliced in thin, half-rounds - see the pic above)
• 1 tbsp. red chile flakes
• parmesan cheese (to top before serving)

Method:

After prep, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan or pot.  When it begins to shimmer, add the onion and fry for 2-3 minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to fry for another 2 minutes or so.

Add the sausage, stir, and fry so that the sausage is browned and the onions become clear.  You can add the chile flakes too (if you like some spice like me) or skip it and keep it mild.

Mix in your broccoli and fry some more...until the broccoli is just starting to become tender (but still crunchy!)  Don't overcook the broccoli, it will become a mushy mess.   Taste it to check as you go...

Now add the shitake mushrooms.  These mushrooms are very delicate and will cook super-fast.  Stir them in and fry the whole mess for another minute or so, then you can add in the tomato sauce.

Stir well, bring to a bubbly boil, turn down the heat to low and simmer for five minutes.  (At this point, I actually added a little more olive oil, as you can see it floating in the sauce...)

Serve over the penne with freshly grated parmesan.  This feeds 4-6 people (depending on your idea of a serving) and tastes great for lunch the next day.