Hearty Spicy Sausage & Rapini Pasta - A Family Favorite

To kick off this savory adventure, start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it's perfectly al dente. Meanwhile, grab a large skillet and warm up the olive oil over medium-high heat. This is your canvas for building flavors!

Add the garlic to the skillet and let it sizzle for a minute or two, just until it becomes fragrant. Now, crumble the spicy sausage into the skillet. Continue to cook it, breaking it apart as it browns, until no longer pink. This step not only cooks the sausage but also infuses the oil with a beautiful garlicky and spicy aroma.

Once the sausage is nicely browned, toss in the rapini. This leafy green will add a pop of color and a slightly bitter counterpoint to the dish, balancing the richness of the sausage. Sauté it just until it begins to wilt, to preserve its vibrant green color and slight crunch.

After transferring the sausage and rapini mix to a plate, drain any excess grease from the pan and return it to medium heat. Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up the delicious browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the sour cream and milk until you have a beautifully smooth and creamy sauce. This is going to add a luxurious silky coat to our pasta, making each bite irresistibly creamy.

The final step is to reintegrate the sausage and rapini into the skillet, along with the perfectly cooked pasta. Gently toss everything together, ensuring the pasta is well coated in the creamy, flavorsome sauce. The harmony of spicy sausage chunks, tender greens, and silky pasta, all bound by the creamy sauce, creates a comforting yet sophisticated dish. Serve it hot, garnished with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for an extra touch of decadence.