Sausage And Tomatoes Orecchiette Pasta

This easy, simple, and super-tasty Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes will soon be your weeknight go-to dinner recipe. 

Who does not love one-dish meals? It's so easy, tasty, and, let’s face it, so easy to clean up.

This orecchiette pasta recipe will not disappoint you. The dish below is so easy to prepare. By the time the pasta is cooked, it is all done.

What is orecchiette pasta good for?

The round, concave shape of pasta leads to the name of Orecchiette, or little ears in Italian.

The pasta's shape is cup-like, and the sauce captures it wonderfully inside the small cup. It is originally from the southern region of Italy, Puglia.

What is pasta al dente?

Al dente, translated as “to the tooth,” al dente is an Italian term used to describe the perfect consistency of pasta when cooked. Firm when bitten without being rigid, where you can still feel the pasta under your bite or chalky.

Usually, it is a couple of minutes before the manufacturer-recommended cooking time.

This method is used when you continue cooking your pasta with a sauce.

By not cooking it all the way through, you give yourself enough room to have your pasta cooked to perfection instead of too mushy, which is unpleasant. 

Why fresh tomatoes?

The fresh tomatoes added to the mild Italian sausage with a hint of fennel are a fantastic combination.  

Mild and sweet with lots of boldness. Most of all, not so much fat as its counterparts.

It brings the right amount of juice and acidity to your dish. 

Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients needed to make this orecchiette pasta recipe

This is a quick introduction. Please read the recipe for complete instructions.

Orecchiette pasta: The star of this dish. If you do not have any on hand, tubular pasta will do. You want to sauce with the sausage to be eaten with your pasta.

Olive oil: Used to cook the tomatoes 

Mild Italian Sausage: Most Italian sausages have fennel, giving a great flavor to your dish. If you like it hot, use a hot sausage to your liking. 

Fresh tomatoes: Large tomatoes that you will cut into chunks and cook until soft but not falling apart

Parmigiano Reggiano: The only cheese to serve with a traditional orecchiette recipe.

Cooking tips and step-by-step to make this excellent orecchiette with sausage recipe

This recipe will go relatively fast; therefore, have all your ingredients ready to start the sauce as soon as you put the water up to cook the orecchiette.

• Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orecchiette to al dente one to two minutes before the recommended cooking time suggested by the pasta manufacturer.
• Reserve a 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
• While the pasta is cooking, start working on your sauce
• Press into the casing of the sausage to remove the interior sausage meat.
• Separate the sausage into small chunks, bite-size, and add them to a skillet. Cook them over medium-high heat; they need to cook but not burn.
• Once nicely browned, remove them from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Remove all the grease from the skillet, and add the olive oil and tomato chunks to start your tomato sauce. 
• Cook the tomatoes until the liquid is reduced by half and the tomatoes are nearly broken down.
• Add the orecchiette pasta to the skillet as well as the sausage.
• Mix well and add more cooking water if it is too dry.
• Once all is well incorporated, add the parmesan cheese. 

Serve piping hot. And as they say in Italy: You wait for the pasta, the pasta does not wait for you.

Even though the pasta may be off the stove heat, it will continue the cooking process. The longer it waits to be served. The overcooked it will become.

Ingredients needed to make this delicious Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes

• 1 pound orecchiette pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 pound of mild Italian sausage
• 1 cup diced in large chunks fresh tomatoes
• 2 ounces aged Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette pasta until they are al dente. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water.
2. Separate the Italian sausage into small, bite-size chunks and add them to a large skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until nicely browned and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate. Discard all excess grease.
3. Return the skillet to the stove, add one tablespoon of the olive oil, and add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes over medium-low heat. They are ready when soft but not falling apart.
4. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half and the tomatoes nearly break down about 5 minutes.
5. Add the pasta and the cooked sausage to the skillet and stir until the pasta is well coated. Add some of the cooking. Water if too dry.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded Parmigiano cheese.
7. Transfer to bowls and serve right the way.

Storage and reheating

If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, store them in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

To reheat, bring the orecchiette back to room temperature, place it in a skillet, and add a couple of tablespoons of water and a dot of butter.

Warm up slowly and add more water if need be.

You can also add a chopped-up fresh tomato to the skillet, and once it is slightly cooked, add the orecchiette pasta and warm it to your liking. 

Substitutions

Mild sausage can be substituted with hot sausage. 

Orecchiette pasta can be substituted with small tubular pasta such as rigatoni mezzi or penne.

Fresh tomatoes can be replaced by any tomato: Campari or cherry. Do watch the cooking process, as the small tomatoes tend to cook faster and break down quickly.

If you enjoyed this orecchiette with sausage and tomatoes recipe, check out these flavorful recipes:

Orecchiette with Chickpeas and Zaatar

Pasta with Peas and Italian Sausage

Farfalle with Ricotta and Peas

Do you like this recipe?

~ I invite you to visit Giangiskitchen.com for the complete printable recipe, tips for my Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes, and hundreds of easy dinner recipes.

~ Subscribe to my Newsletter and get my free weekly menu, recipes, and grocery list.

~ New to cooking and need help getting started? Giangi's Kitchen Back To Basics - Cooking 101 eBook is what you need to achieve all your cooking dreams.

~ Come and cook along with me on Giangi's Kitchen YouTube channel.

I only recommend the products that I love and use. This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

Meet Chef Giangi

I am a passionate cook, recipe developer, author, and food photographer with 14 years of food blogging experience. Inspired by my French and Italian heritage, I work with other chefs, both foreign and domestic, and have had countless discussions with chefs at famous restaurants globally. I enjoy sharing these creative culinary delights in simple, straightforward, easy-to-understand recipes.