Ken Oringer's Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Long-Cooked Broccoli

Ingredients

For the Orecchiette:
1 pound orecchiette
Chicken sausage
Long-cooked broccoli
Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste
For the Chicken Sausage:
1 pound ground chicken thighs
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, toasted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
Long-Cooked Broccoli:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Crushed red pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 heads of broccoli, finely chopped
12 ounces chicken stock
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves chopped
1/2 cup canned, crushed San Marzano tomatoes
3 tablespoons butter

Yields:

Preparation

For the Orecchiette:
Add orecchiette to a casserole dish with broccoli sauce, along with the crumbled sausage and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and spoon into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano and serve.

For the Chicken Sausage:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and cover with plastic. Let marinate overnight.
Preheat oven to 400°F, spread mixture on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes until browned and cooked through. Crumble when cool and set aside.

For the Long-Cooked Broccoli:
In a large casserole dish, heat the olive oil and sauté onion, garlic and spices until translucent. Add broccoli, chicken stock, thyme and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Stew slowly until broccoli starts falling apart, about 45 minutes to an hour. Swirl in the butter and reserve.