“I just finished reading Mark Sullivan’s Beneath A Scarlet Sky, an incredible novel. There is a dish mentioned
in the book for Sausage, Broccoli and Garlic that has me salivating. The main character savors this dish. The book
is set during World War II Italy and even the most common items are scarce so this was probably a treat. The combination
intrigued me . . . or was it the pure pleasure the main character had? Any chance you can obtain the recipe? I am looking forward
to making the dish.” —Christine McCoy
Author Mark Sullivan shared his family recipe for Sicilian Broccoli and Sausage and tells us the recipe is named in Beneath a Scarlet Sky because “it’s my favorite peasant dish, and a favorite of my character, Pino Lella.”
The recipe came from Sicily with the author’s wife’s grandmother who lived near Palermo.
For other menu items, Sullivan recommends: “Gnocchi is a big northern Italian dish, and so is pesto with chicken breast slices, fresh tomatoes, basil, fresh Mozzarella cheese. Serve with good Italian wine.”
Author Mark Sullivan shared his family recipe for Sicilian Broccoli and Sausage for book clubs and readers to enjoy. The recipe is named in his novel Beneath a Scarlet Sky because “it's my favorite peasant dish, and a favorite of my character, Pino Lella."
Ingredients
3-4 cups chopped broccoli florets (about 1 medium head of broccoli)
1 pound Italian sausage, quartered
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt, to taste
Spaghetti, broken into small pieces (optional; for soup, if desired)
Instructions
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add broccoli and simmer until slightly softened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove broccoli and reserve broth.
In a large saute pan with a lid, brown sausages. Add garlic, stirring for 30 seconds. Add broccoli, 1 cup of broccoli broth, basil and salt. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Serve with Italian bread and butter.
To make soup: Bring broccoli broth to a boil and add spaghetti. Cook according to package instructions.
Notes
The broccoli broth makes a delicious pre-dinner soup.