The initial recipe came from the Everyday Italian cookbook, but I’ve modified it slightly since I started making it. This is a fast and flavorful Italian meal that I cook a few times a month.
Ingredients:

Half bag pre-cut broccoli
Package of hot Italian turkey sausage – remove sausage from casings (we’ve used all different types of sausage in the recipe, but I honestly like the hot Italian type the best.)
Box of tubular pasta with ridges (I prefer Rigatoni)
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (based on how much you like)
Pinch of Hot Pepper Flakes
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated) plus a little extra to put on top

Bring pot of water to boil – add a few pinches of salt
Cook broccoli in water until bright green, this just takes a few minutes
Remove broccoli from water, but leave it boiling
Cook pasta in water until al dente

While pasta is cooking, lightly coat large pan with olive oil, heat up over medium heat, and add sausage that has been removed from casings. As sausage begins to brown, use a wooden spoon (they work the best) to start breaking up the sausage into bit-sized pieces. I do this slowly as the sausage cooks so I don’t have to struggle with it all at the beginning. It should take about 8 minutes for the sausage to just about cook through.

Once sausage is just about done, add in garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes and toss together for about a minute. Be sure garlic doesn’t brown. Add in the broccoli and toss together as well. At this point your pasta should be done, reserve about one cup of the pasta water when you drain pasta. Add pasta to skillet and toss. Add a little bit of pasta water at a time to help all the flavors combine (I usually add anywhere between ½ to ¾ of a cup). Turn off heat. Add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper (however much you prefer) give it one final toss and serve.

Leftovers are great of this dish too and it makes a wonderful lunch the next day.