Low FODMAP Broccoli Sausage Pasta

Directions

1. Make the flavor base for the pasta. Measure out the capers and then smash the capers on a chopping board using a fork. Transfer the smashed capers into a small bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the garlic scape powder. Set aside for later.

2. Remove the casing from the sausages. Without turning on the heat, add your sausage to a wide skillet and break it up into small pieces.

3. Finely chop the green tops of the leek, and cut the broccoli into small florets and place to the side for later.

4. Bring a well-salted pot of water to a boil and cook your pasta, until al dente. Reserve ¾ cup of cooking water before draining the pasta.

5. While the pasta cooks, start cooking the sausages. Switch on the heat to low-medium and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Stir in a sprinkle of salt and the red pepper flakes. Starting with a room-temperature pan and heating the sausage slowly helps the fat render out and will crisp up the sausage better than starting with a hot-oiled pan.

6. Once you see the pan getting oilier (this is the fat rendering out), you can turn up the heat to medium-high. Continue cooking the sausage until it's golden brown and crispy, stirring frequently to brown evenly. This will take about 20 minutes. Once browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper-towel lined plate, leaving any fat or oil in the skillet. Do not wash the skillet.

7. Place the empty skillet back over the heat and increase the heat to high. Add the broccoli into the left over fat/oil and sprinkle with salt. If the pan feels too dry, feel free to add a splash of olive oil. Stir-fry for 3 minutes, then add the leek tops, and continue sautéing for another 2 to 3 minutes until the the broccoli is crisp-tender and vibrantly green, then transfer the greens to a colander to rest (this will help the broccoli stay crispier than if you place it in a bowl or plate). Do not wash the skillet.

8. Place the skillet back over high heat. Add the chicken broth and ¾ cup of pasta water, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium, letting the liquid simmer for about 5 minutes, until reduced to about 1 cup of liquid. Turn down the heat to low and stir in the reserved caper/oil/lemon mixture. There’s no need for the sauce to return to a boil. Quickly mix in the reserved broccoli, sausage, cooked pasta, and parmesan cheese.

9. Serve hot and garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and lemon zest.