June 8 – June 13, 2026

Tuesday:                  Maccheroni with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Wednesday:           Pittsburgh History Center Dinner

Friday:                      Mussels with White Beans and Finocchiona

Saturday:                Mere and Hoddy’s Anniversary Dinner (56 years!)

Sunday:                   Maloreddus (Pasta) with Wild Boar (Pork Loin) Sugo

Not Broccoli, rather Broccoli Rabe

Last week we cooked three of our all-time favorite meals.  So what to share with you?

We could be generous and share all three, but time is short and recipes take a lot of time to write down, check for omissions and mistakes, recheck the timing and prep and add explanatory notes.  Besides, you’ve got other (I don’t say ‘better’) things to do with your time than to read this blog.

So, we’re going to share the easiest of the recipes this week and next week we’ll share the Mussels with White Beans and Finocchiona (cured fennel sausage).  As for the Maloreddus (Pasta) with Wild Boar Sugo – I’m going to save that for the colder months of the year.  And you won’t need to source wild boar in the meantime – a well-marinated pork shoulder will do the trick.

The easiest dish of the week . . . drum roll, please . . . with its delicious blend of texture, savory, bitter and salty, was the Maccheroni with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe.  If you don’t make broccoli rabe a staple of your cooking, you’re missing something.  If you don’t like broccoli rabe, you have the palate of a child.  The grassy bitterness and meaty chew of this goddess of green vegetables is unique.  Sure, I like the blandness of cooked broccoli which can be flavored any way you like, and who doesn’t like the earthiness and sweetness of asparagus or the meatiness of the sturdier greens (kale, chard and mustard)?  But broccoli rabe has a unique bitterness – almost a bright, citrusy hint lurking behind its deep green flavor that may be difficult for some (not me) to take on its own. but is perfect when paired with sausage and the satisfying fleshiness of well-cooked pasta.

As for the easy part – you can have dinner on the table minutes after starting to cook this dish. I defy you not to have seconds, if there is anything left in the pot after firsts.

Maccheroni with Pork Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

(adapted from Franny’s:  Simple, Seasonal, Italian)

Timing:                           20 minutes plus how long it takes to cook the pasta

Ingredients:                                                       Serves 4

10 ounces pork sausage (we used 1 lb., because that was the size of the package)

1 pound maccheroni (we used imported rigatoni that came in a 17.6 oz. package)

1 bunch broccoli rabe, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces (at least 4 cups – we used 5 cups)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano – more for serving

4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled (we used a bit of garlic powder, instead)

½ teaspoon chili flakes, 1 tablespoon butter, Kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (you crack black pepper by wrapping it in a kitchen towel or putting it in a plastic bag and smashing it with a meat hammer or the bottom of a skillet)

Prep:

Form the sausage into 4 patties – make them about 1/2” thick

Trim and cut the broccoli rabe = Peel the garlic cloves, if using

Gather the other ingredients – Put a large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil (and cook the pasta)

Cook:

In a very large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high (slightly lower if you are using a high-btu burner).  Add the sausage patties and brown – 2 or 3 minutes on each side, then break them into bite-sized pieces (they will be pink inside, but you’re going to cook them further).

Add garlic (or garlic powder, as we did) and cook another 2 minutes or so, then add the chili flakes.  Now toss in the broccoli rabe and cook until wilted and tender – 5 minutes or so.  Add two tablespoons of water and remove from the heat.

Cook the maccheroni (if you’re a good multi-tasker, you can cook it simultaneously with the sausage and broccoli rabe), reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta water, then drain and toss the maccheroni into the skillet and reheat over medium for a minute or so – you will probably need to add some of the pasta water to keep things cooking and coat the pasta.  Now toss in the butter and cook until the pasta is al dente.  If the sauce seems dry, add more pasta water.  Cook for another minute or so, after stirring in the parmigiano and pepper.  Adjust seasoning with salt.

Divide and serve in bowls – we topped with torn basil.