Orrecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Ricotta, and Sausage

1. Remove the sausage from its casing and crumble into a medium nonstick skillet.  Add 2t of the olive oil and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sausage is no longer pink and much of the fat has been rendered.  Scrape the sausage into a sieve and drain off as much fat as possible, then blot on paper towels.  Set aside on a plate.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orrechiette for 11 to 13 minutes, until it is tender but still firm; this pasta is thicker than most and takes a bit longer to cook.  Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.  Drain the pasta into a colander.
3. In a large skillet or flameproof casserole, cook the garlic in the remaining 3T olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant but not brown.  Add the broccoli rabe and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes longer.  Add the reserved pasta cooking water, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring once or twice, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the broccoli rabe is tender but not mushy.
4. Add the cooked sausage, the ricotta, and the orrechiette.  Stir gently to mix.  Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 2 minutes, until heated through.  Toss with the pecorino Romano cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Reprinted with permission from The Acid Reflux Solution: A Cookbook and Lifestyle Guide for Healing Heartburn Naturally. Copyright © 2012 by Dr. Jorge E. Rodriguez. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA.