Creamy Sausage & Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

• 8 pork sausages, skins removed and meat crumbled
• 350ml hot chicken stock
• 1.5 tbsp plain flour
• 1 large broccoli head, cut into small florets
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 150ml double cream
• 25g unsalted butter
• 400g penne
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 60g Parmesan, finely grated
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 15g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• ciabatta, to serve
• mixed green salad, to serve

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the penne for 2 minutes less than the pack time so it stays slightly firm. Add the broccoli florets for the final 3 minutes, then drain, reserving a mugful of starchy water.
2. While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a deep frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and cook gently for 6 minutes until soft, sweet and translucent. Add the garlic for the final minute, until fragrant but not coloured.
3. Push the onion to one side, crumble in the sausagemeat and fry for 6-8 minutes until browned and crisp in patches, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go.
4. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then splash in the hot stock a little at a time, whisking until smooth. Simmer for 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
5. Pour in the cream and mustard, then simmer gently for 4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Stir through most of the Parmesan, then taste and season well with salt and black pepper.
6. Tip the drained pasta and broccoli into the sauce with a splash of reserved water, tossing until every piece is glossy and the broccoli breaks down a little into the cream.
7. Serve immediately with parsley and the remaining Parmesan scattered over the top, with ciabatta and a mixed green salad alongside.