ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Broccoli rabe: Roughly chop broccoli rabe, including the florets, leaves, and stems. Blanch in a large pot of salted boiling water, 2-3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath for 2-3 minutes to stop the cooking. (Don't drain the water; keep it boiling to cook the pasta.) Remove broccoli rabe from ice bath and squeeze out excess water with your hands. Set aside.
• Sausage: Set a medium skillet over high heat and add olive oil. When the oil is warm, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice the garlic and add to the sausage. Stir and cook 1 more minute. Mix the broccoli rabe into the sausage and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste, followed by chilies, and continue cooking 3-4 more minutes.
• Pasta: Put the orecchiette in the boiling water and cook about 2 minutes less than what the box advises (it will be al dente, says chef Mantuano, though not as chewy as other pasta shapes). Stir occasionally so the pasta doesn't clump.
• Sauce: Add chicken stock to the sausage mixture to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom. Turn off heat and set aside.
• Assembly: Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain orecchiette, then return to the pot. Add sauce to the pot and stir. Cook over low heat, gently tossing the pasta with the sauce for 1-2 minutes to allow it to "marry"-or absorb-the sauce. (Add pasta water bit by bit if the sauce seems too dry.) Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Transfer to a platter or bowl. Garnish with Pecorino Romano and serve immediately, with more cheese at the table.