Italian sausages with broccoli, chilli and penne

Ingredients

• 4 Italian or other spicy sausages
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 500g broccoli, broken or cut into bite-sized heads with the stalk attached
• ½ onion
• 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 125ml dry white wine or dry vermouth
• 125g penne
• extra virgin olive oil
• freshly grated Parmesan to serve

Method

Cut the sausages into lengths about the size of half of your index finger. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan (which has a lid) and brown the sausages all over. Scoop out the sausages and set them aside.

Cut the onion into crescent moon-shaped slices about 1 cm thick at the thickest part. Heat the oil which is still in the pan and cook the onions over a fairly brisk heat till golden, but not brown.

Add the broccoli and stir it around, then add the garlic and the chilli and cook for about a minute.

Put the sausages back in the pan, add the white wine, season and bring to the boil.

Immediately turn the heat down, cover and leave to cook for about 7 minutes, until the broccoli is just tender and the cooking juices have reduced.

While the sausages are simmering, cook the penne in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.

Drain and immediately stir the pasta into the sausage mixture. Check the seasoning, drizzle on a little extra virgin oil and serve with freshly grated parmesan.