Description
Orecchiette pasta with spicy tempeh sausage served with broccoli rabe and fresh basil. A bright, simple and delicious weeknight pasta dish.
Ingredients
8 oz tempeh
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 sweet onion, finely diced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp fennel seed
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp sage
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp butter
1 lb broccoli rabe, chopped
1 lb orecchiette pasta
1 tbsp cherry peppers
1 cup reserved pasta water
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
chopped basil for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- While the water is coming to a boil start the sausage. Pulse the tempeh in a food processor 5-7 times, it should be crumbly not blended. Transfer the tempeh to a large bowl.
- In a small pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic and onion with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Saute for 3-5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Add the onion garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse 5 times. Pour the garlic and onion into the bowl with the tempeh.
- Add the fennel seed, Italian seasoning, sage, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, soy sauce, white pepper, salt and dijon and mix until everything is fully incorporated.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet. Add the tempeh and spread flat across the skillet. Let cook for 5 minutes until the bottom side is crispy. Then flip it over and cook the other side for 5 more minutes. Once the tempeh starts to crisp, add the remaining butter and continue to cook, flipping and stirring every few minutes until the majority of the tempeh is browned and the butter is fully cooked into the tempeh.
- Set the tempeh sausage aside. Add the broccoli rabe to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes until it starts to wilt. Remove the broccoli rabe from the water with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Add the pasta to the same boiling water and cook by the package instructions.
- When the pasta is almost cooked, scoop out one cup of the water and set aside. Strain the pasta and return to the pot. Add in the tempeh, broccoli rabe and cherry peppers and stir until combined. Add in the parmesan cheese, two teaspoons of olive oil and a the reserved pasta water about 1/4 cup at a time stirring in between. If it looks too watery before you’ve added the full cup stop.
- Season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste. You likely won’t need to much salt as both the tempeh and the cheese is salty. I like to finish it with fresh ground black pepper and top with fresh basil.
Notes
- If you’re vegan, substitute butter for vegan butter or olive oil, just know using olive oil will change the flavor profile slightly
- Substitute parmesan for vegan parm either store bought or, make your own by mixed 1/4 cup of cashews and a 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast with 1 tsp of salt in a food processor.
- If you can’t find broccoli rabe (rapini) substitute for another dark, bitter green like chard.
Keywords: pasta, vegetarian, vegan, tempeh, rapini, broccoli rabe, quick, easy