Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Cheesy Bread
This Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Cheesy Bread a fun and delicious twist on the classic Italian pasta dish. Put it on the menu soon!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 645kcal
Ingredients
For the Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
- 1 bunch broccoli rabe
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage hot or mild
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
For the Cheesy Bread
- 1 large loaf of soft Italian bread not a baguette with crispy edges
- ¼ cup prepared Italian salad dressing
- 1¾ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided (I used Cabot's Rustic Cut Mozzarella Cheese)
- ⅓ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1½ tsp Italian seasonings
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- red pepper flakes
- chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
For the Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
- Place a large pot of salted water over high heat.
- Trim off bottom 1-2” of broccoli rabe. Once boiling, add broccoli rabe and cook for 4 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.
- Using a colander and several paper towels, press as much water as possible out of the broccoli rabe. Chop into ~1” pieces and set aside.
- Meanwhile, place Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up sausage, for 5 minutes.
- Add olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir until well combined. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
- Add chopped broccoli rabe, stir until well combined and continue sautéing for 2-3 more minutes.
- Remove skillet from heat and add lemon juice; stir until well combined. Set sausage mixture aside to cool.
For the Cheesy Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Slice loaf of bread in half lengthwise; place each half on separate pieces of aluminum foil.
- Brush tops of both halves evenly with the Italian dressing.
- Sprinkle half of mozzarella cheese evenly on top of both halves.
- Divide the sausage and broccoli rabe mixture evenly on top of both halves.
- Wrap foil over bread and crimp edges together. Place both pieces of wrapped bread on baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove baking sheet and open foil.
- Using a small bowl, combine the Pecorino cheese, Italian seasonings, garlic powder and remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle this mixture evenly on top of each piece of bread.
- Return to oven and continue baking uncovered for 5-6 minutes, or until cheese has completely melted. (Note: If desired, broil the bread for the last 1-2 minutes.)
- Remove loaves from oven and sprinkle with red pepper flakes and chopped Italian parsley.
- Cut into slices and serve warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 912mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 951IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 3mg
