Sweet Italian Sausage With Broccoli Di Rapi In A Garlic White Wine Sauce

Cut off only the very bottom of the broccoli rapi stalks and discard. Cut stalks into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Remember "Hot pan, cold oil, food won't stick”. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add oil. Just before oil begins to smoke, carefully add sausage to pan. Allow sausage to brown evenly before stirring, this will prevent meat from sticking to pan. Turn meat until golden brown on all sides. Pay special attention to the “Fond” or the brown bits developing on the bottom of your pan. This will become the “foundation" of your sauce. Add garlic and lightly toast. Add Broccoli rapi and sauté about three minutes. “Deglaze" pan with white wine while scraping the sausage fond from the bottom of the pan. Reduce wine by one half. Season with Salt and pepper. Try this sauce with orecchiette pasta (Little Ears). If the sauce needs more liquid add a little of you salted pasta cooking water. Add pasta to pan and toss. You can finish this dish with grated cheese and/or 1TBL of butter.