Ziti With Sausage, Sweet Corn, Broccoli and Tomatoes

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage; cook, breaking up the meat into ½-inch pieces, until most of the fat has rendered from the sausage and the pieces are brown and crunchy, but not burnt, about 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Step 2

   In the boiling water, add pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain.

3. Step 3

   While the pasta is cooking, separate the broccoli flowerets from the stalks and cut the flowerets into 1-inch pieces. Peel the fibrous skin from the exterior of the broccoli stalks and cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces. Add the broccoli to the sausage and mix well. Then stir in the garlic, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

4. Step 4

   Add the reserved pasta cooking water to the sausage and broccoli mixture with the corn, tomatoes and the remaining three tablespoons of oil. Season generously with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if desired), to taste. Cover, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.

5. Step 5

   In a large serving bowl or in the pasta pot, combine the drained pasta with the sausage and vegetables, tossing the mixture together well. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.