Wagon Wheel Pasta With Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Wednesday, May 5, 2010
What a fun pasta!!!! Who use to play with their food?

Does anyone remember these? Or still use them. Wagon Wheel Pasta (Or Rotelle Pasta) was a childhood favorite in our household.
The only thing missing is that warm hot crusty Italian Bread! A glass of dry white wine will go nice with this dish.

Fresh tomatoes, tomato paste and white wine simmered to perfection!
The kids will love these~


The flavors of Broccoli Rabe sauteed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic with the sausage and beans give this a wonderful robust flavor to the sauce.


Wagon Wheel Pasta was a fun favorite as a kid, mom used to use these in soup all the time. Half of them would get wheeled around the table.



I love using fresh tomatoes, but if you can't use them canned is fine, pick all-natural for the best flavors or with added spices.







1 16 oz box of Wagon Wheels pasta
2 cans Northern White Beans (or prepared Fresh Beans )
1 clove of minced garlic
1 pound Italian sausage links sliced
1 pound can of diced tomatoes with basil and oregano added (or add your own spices about 1/2 teaspoon each) or 4 fresh plum tomatoes and add your own spices to taste)
1 can of tomato paste


1 cup water
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, black pepper, and salt
fresh basil
2 cans of chicken broth
1 lb of Broccoli Rabe( washed, stalk cut off, boiled till tender, water squeezed out set aside.)
In a large frypan saute broccoli rabe, sausage in olive oil, and minced garlic. After the sausage is almost brown add beans to get garlic to flavor the beans. Add the tomatoes, wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, and water, add extra water if this gets too thick let simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile cook wagon wheels pasta in boiling salted water, separately to package instructions al denti.
Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the wagon wheels, and serve with grated cheese, and fresh basil. 

18 comments

  1. I sure do! I have actually never made it though!

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  2. Pasta and white beans, I'm sold! This sounds so yummy. There was no food playing at our dinner table, dad was big on manners and we were too scared to test him!

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  3. Those are cool pasta shapes for sure! A yummy pasta dish, I like the addition of white beans!

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  4. This looks wonderful! Such a lovely plate of pasta!
    Cheers~

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  5. I've always loved wagon wheel pasta! This looks like a great family-friendly dish!

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  6. what a fun meal and tasty sounding too - Red is right, we couldn't fool around at the dinner table either, it was serious eating....

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  8. This is so fun Claudia! We love wagon wheel pasta!! Great post!!

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  9. I'd forgotten all about wagon wheel pasta. Fun dish!

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  10. That looks so good. How odd that I have never tried wagon wheel pasta. There's a must do for the list.

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  11. I bet these wagon wheel pastas have a great texture. I'm on the look out for them! Have a great weekend!!

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  12. Oh I love broccoli rabe and red beans! with all those wheels, we can get there faster!! Great job Claudia!

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  13. Beautiful pasta. I love the pasta wheels.

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  14. This looks lovely Claudia - love brocolli rabe and white beans. Strangely though I think they're adorable, I've never cooked wagon wheels before!

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  15. When I was a child I loved rotelle so much! Great combination!

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  16. My kids would love these, particularly the mini version. Great flavors with the sausage and broccoli rabe!

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  17. What a fun dish! Pasta wheels take me back to my childhood :o) Love the broccoli rabe. Mmmmm...

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  18. Now this is what I'm talkin' about! Holy yummy.

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