Penne Pugliese with Sausage and Rapini
Penne Pugliese with Sausage and Rapini
A robust Puglian restaurant dish: veal sausage, pancetta, rapini and white kidney beans in tomato sauce over penne, topped with shaved parmigiano.
Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 40 minutes
What Is Penne Pugliese with Sausage and Rapini?
A Puglian-style restaurant pasta combining grilled veal sausage, crisp pancetta, bitter rapini and white kidney beans in a quick tomato sauce over penne lisce.
Why Make Penne Pugliese with Sausage and Rapini?
- Sausage, pancetta and beans make it deeply satisfying
- Rapini's bitterness cuts the rich meats
- A genuine Toronto-Italian restaurant dish
- Beans stretch it to feed a crowd
- Sage and garlic perfume the sauce
Unico Products Used in This Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 veal sausages (linked, roasted or grilled)
- 8 slices pancetta (cut into strips)
- 1 cup white onions (chopped)
- extra virgin olive oil (for the pan)
- 1 bunch rapini (blanched)
- 2 cups pasta sauce (or San Marzano type tomatoes)
- 3 cloves garlic (whole, fresh)
- 6 leaves fresh sage (or thyme)
- 100 g white kidney beans (canned, drained)
- salt and pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
- 400 g penne lisce (or ditali)
- parmigiano (shaved or grated, to serve)
Instructions
- Broil, slow-roast or grill the sausages until three-quarters cooked; let cool and cut into 1-inch slices.
- Pan-fry the pancetta and onions in olive oil.
- Add the rapini, pasta sauce, whole garlic, sage, drained beans, salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
- Add the sausage slices and let simmer.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water, stirring frequently; drain, reserving a little pasta water.
- Add the pasta to the sauce, loosening with a splash of pasta water if needed; place on a platter and top with shaved parmigiano.
Cooking Tips
- Grill the sausages first for char and depth
- Blanch the rapini to tame its bitterness
- Leave the garlic cloves whole for gentle flavour
- Use a little pasta water to thicken the sauce
- Finish with shaved — not grated — parmigiano for drama
Frequently Asked Questions About Penne Pugliese with Sausage and Rapini
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1. Can I use pork sausage instead of veal?
Yes — mild Italian pork sausage is the easiest substitute.
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2. What can I use instead of rapini?
Broccolini or kale work, though they're milder than true rapini.
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3. Can I use whole tomatoes instead of pasta sauce?
Yes — San Marzano–type tomatoes can replace the Unico pasta sauce; crush them as they cook.
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4. What does blanching the rapini do?
A quick boil softens the stems and mellows the bitterness before it hits the pan.
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5. How do I store leftovers?
Refrigerate up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of water.
Cooking Guides & Tips
Penne Pugliese with Sausage and Rapini Made Simple
Penne Pugliese with Sausage and Rapini piles southern-Italian flavours into one generous platter. Unico pasta sauce and penne lisce form its reliable base.