Orecchiette with Sausage & Purple Sprouting Broccoli

1. Fill and boil the kettle. Trim, peel and dice the red onion. Peel and grate or crush the garlic clove. Slice the woody ends off the purple sprouting broccoli, then roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces. Finely grate the zest from the lemon. Set aside.

2. Use a small, sharp knife to slice down the middle of the sausages to open them out, then peel off the skin.

3. Place a deep frying pan on a medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the chopped onion and gently fry, stirring often, for 5-6 mins till glossy. Add the garlic and fry for 2 mins till fragrant.

4. Add the sausage meat to the pan and use the back of a wooden spoon to break the sausages up into small lumps. Season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Fry, stirring regularly, for 10-15 mins till the sausages are golden brown and crispy. Add the lemon zest and stir to mix.

5. While the sausage meat fries, fill a large pan with hot water from the kettle and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then tip in the orecchiette pasta. Simmer for 6 mins till the pasta is nearly cooked but is still a little chalky.

6. Add the chopped broccoli to the pasta and cook for a further 4 mins till the broccoli is just tender and the pasta is cooked through.

7. Scoop a mugful of water out of the pan (use a ladle or mind your fingers) then drain the pasta and broccoli. Tip them back into the pan. Set aside.

8. Trickle pasta water into the fried sausages and stir to make a soft, smooth sauce. Add the sausage sauce to the pasta. Gently turn to coat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add a pinch of salt and pepper or a squeeze more lemon, if needed. Divide the pasta between 4 warm plates. Serve straight away with the grated Parmesan.