Pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe
Pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe is a classic Italian-American dish, typically featuring orecchiette or penne pasta, spicy Italian sausage, and slightly bitter broccoli rabe sautéed with garlic and olive oil. It's a hearty, one-pan-style meal originating from Southern Italian cuisine, particularly popular in regions like Puglia and among Italian immigrant communities in the United States.
🍽️ Nutrition at a glance
This dish is moderately high in carbohydrates from the pasta and protein from the sausage, with a notable amount of fat from the sausage and olive oil. It provides key nutrients like iron and vitamins A, C, and K from the broccoli rabe, and a typical serving contains roughly 500-700 calories.
Nutrition breakdown
| Calories | 450 kcal |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Carbs | 45 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Sodium | 850 mg |
| Potassium | 400 mg |
| Iron | 3.5 mg |
| Calcium | 120 mg |
| Vitamin A | 2500 IU |
| Vitamin C | 30 mg |
| Vitamin K | 150 mcg |
| Magnesium | 60 mg |
| Phosphorus | 200 mg |
Per 1 cup (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe
💡 What's interesting
Culturally, the dish represents the rustic, resourceful cooking of Southern Italy, where bitter greens like broccoli rabe were paired with flavorful meats to create satisfying meals. Nutritionally, the bitterness of the rabe is believed to aid digestion, and its high vitamin K content supports bone health.
