Campanelle with Broccoli Rabe and Whipped Ricotta

Campanelle pasta is one of my favorite pasta shapes because it really helps scoop up all the sauce, cheese, and goodness in a pasta dish like this.  Once you whip the ricotta and mix your dish together, it creates a super creamy and satisfying meal.  NOTE: I made this one using plant based smoked apple and sage sausage, but you can also use meat sausage.  I would just try to stick in the apple and sage flavor palette, or go with a plain sausage, or even ground meat.  The fresh sage is a star of this dish, and a sausage with intense flavors may overpower it.  

What you need (Serves 2): 

Spread broccoli rabe on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until broccoli rabe starts to look crispy.

Chop shallot and sausage and cook on medium heat in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  

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Cook pasta in boiling and salted water for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until cooked al dente (fully cooked but still firm).  

Whipped Ricotta: Place ricotta and a small squeeze of lemon juice in a food processor, blend until creamy and smooth.  Set aside until plating.  

Add most of your chopped sage into the pan with the shallot and sausage (reserve some for garnish).  Squeeze the remainder of the lemon over the mixture.  Cook until shallots are browned and sage is a little crispy.  Add a few tablespoons of pasta water before draining your cooked pasta.  

Add cooked pasta and more olive oil to your sausage and shallots and turn off heat.  Mix pasta and oil into sausage and shallot mixture.  

To plate: Spread half of the whipped ricotta over one side of your plate.  Place pasta on the other half of the plate, partially overlapping the ricotta.  Place broccoli rabe across the pasta.  Garnish with remaining fresh sage, parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper.  Salt and pepper to taste.