This is spicy comfort food at its finest. The roasted broccoli and sausage bring a ton of flavor to the party. And then you add the creamy arrabbiata sauce… it’s addictive. It’s spicy and luscious. I don’t use the word “luscious” often but it’s warranted here. It’s creamy and coats the back of a spoon but hits you with a spicy punch just as you were getting comfortable. Pair this with a lighter pinot noir or a dry riesling and you’re set for the evening.

Serves six.

Ingredients

For the arrabbiata sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 28-oz can San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (or more/less depending on heat preference)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup cream (or half & half)

For the pasta:

• 1 lb rigatoni pasta (my favorite is mezza rigatoni, the smaller version of rigatoni)
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Olive oil
• Red pepper flakes for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the broccoli florets in olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them out evenly on a baking sheet and roast until the edges are crispy, approx 20 minutes. Set aside.
2. Next, make the arrabbiata sauce (or you can multitask and get the sauce started while the broccoli is roasting). In a large saucepan, add the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot, stirring occasionally, until translucent, approx 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for an additional minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, white onion, red wine, red pepper flakes, oregano, parsley, and salt. Stir to incorporate. Bring to a simmer and then reduce to low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender or transfer the sauce to a blender and blend on low speed until no large chunks remain, but leaving the sauce with some consistency.
5. Return the sauce to the pot over low heat and whisk in the cream. Add salt to taste as needed. Keep the sauce over low heat in the pot – you’ll use this pot to bring everything together at the end.
6. In a large saute pan, add 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon, until the sausage is browned and cooked through, approx 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the saute pan and add the sausage to the pot of arrabbiata sauce.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
8. Add the pasta and broccoli into the pot of tomato sauce over low heat, stirring to combine. Stir in the parmesan cheese and the pasta water to loosen the sauce a bit. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and red pepper flakes on the side.