Eric's Kitchen in Jersey City: Orzo with Turkey Sausage & Broccoli Rabe

I was inspired by Sasha's Angel Hair Pasta with Grape Tomatoes, Garlic and Pine Nuts so I decided to also add a light, spring meal with pasta, tomatoes, pine nuts and a few other relatively healthy ingredients, feta cheese, mushrooms, broccoli rabe & turkey sausage. I'd say this would probably serve 4 or so and pretty much covers all your food groups.

1 package Shady Brook Farms Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
1 box of cherry tomatoes
1 bunch of broccoli rabe
1/2 package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 small package of pine nuts
6 oz. of feta cheese crumbles
1-2 tbsp minced garlic
white balsamic vinegar
black pepper to taste
olive oil

I had never cooked broccoli rabe before but usually like it quite a bit. I looked up a few recipes online and they all suggested boiling it first and then sauteing it. I boiled it for a couple of minutes and then most of the recipes said to place them in ice water to freeze the cooking time. I just ran cold water over them and then cooked them in the pan and mine were a little overcooked so maybe the ice bath would have been worth it. When I cooked them in the pan I have the garlic, mushrooms and olive oil in there to cook those as well.

I cooked the turkey sausage on my grill pan and then sliced them into thin discs, maybe an 1/8 of an inch each. After the sausage and broccoli rabe were cooked I just mixed everything together in the pot I boiled the broccoli rabe. I added the pine nuts, feta, tomatoes and a little more olive oil and the balsamic vinegar to taste. Everything worked very nicely together but I just wish I hadn't overdone the broccoli rabe. I will have to try and cook it again sometime.

Eric's Kitchen in Jersey City: Orzo with Turkey Sausage & Broccoli Rabe