I have always struggled with transitions. The bridge between summer and fall is a tough one for me. I don’t put on socks until November. 

Markets here in Ottawa are still selling local sweet corn and I’ll be buying for as long as they’re selling. I’m in no hurry to say goodbye to summer. 

The fall produce is starting to arrive but I’m not quite ready to be rushed into pumpkins and squash. I’ll start slow with a verdant head of fresh broccoli. 

This Corn, Broccoli and Spicy Italian Sausage and Shells is the perfect dish to make for dinner this week. It bridges that gap between summer and fall perfectly. 

Featuring sweet local corn, it satisfies our desire to stretch the summer season for as long as possible. Hearty spicy Italian sausage (I used plant based) and earthy broccoli are firmly rooted in the comfort food zone of fall. 

I adapted this recipe from Chris Morocco’s Corn and Sausage Pasta from the September 2022 issue of Bon Appetit. I added a large head of broccoli, cooked it for 2 minutes in boiling water and then chopped it up into rubble sized pieces so that each bite has lots of broccoli bits. There is never enough broccoli for me.

The second change I made to Chris’ recipe was too add some Crunchy Garlic Breadcrumbs as a garnish. I love to play with textures, and these light, fluffy and crunchy crumbs make the perfect garnish. Totally optional, but worth the extra few minutes of time.

The pasta cooking water, Parmesan cheese and a small knob of butter make for a creamy and satisfying sauce. 

Click here to print recipe for Corn, Broccoli, and Spicy Sausage Pasta.