Pasta With Broccoli & Italian Sausage

• 1 head broccoli (approximately 3/4 lb.)
• 2 1/2 links sweet Italian sausage
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 lb dried short pasta such as fusilli, penne, ziti
• salt & pepper
• 2 ounces pecorino romano cheese, grated

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Clean broccoli & separate florets from the stems. Remove the tough peel from the stems & cut into cubes. Place in steamer & steam to desired tenderness. Reserve the broccoli water.
3. Remove the casings from the sausage. Heat the olive oil to medium high and brown the sausage flattening & chopping until all is browned.
4. Add garlic, fennel seed & red pepper flakes. Cook until garlic is pale brown. Remove from the heat.
5. Add steamed broccoli & 1/2 cup of the broccoli water to the sausage.
6. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
7. Scoop out the pasta & add to the sausage & broccoli along with 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
8. Reheat the sausage, broccoli & pasta & stir until the water mostly boils away & forms a nice sauce. 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
9. If too dry add more water from pasta &/or broccoli.
10. Grate 1/2 ounce of pecorino romano cheese over pasta reserving the remaing cheese for tableside.
11. Salt & pepper to taste.
12. Can be reheated in microwave. Just sprinkle with a little water before heating.

broccoli, sausage, olive oil, garlic, red pepper, fennel seed, pasta, salt, romano cheese

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/pasta-with-broccoli-italian-sausage-360295 (may not work)