Italian Sausage with Grilled Broccolini, Kale, and Lemon

A delicious grilled dish combining savory Italian sausage with charred broccolini and kale, dressed with a zesty almond-caper vinaigrette and finished with shaved Pecorino cheese. Perfect for outdoor cooking and summer entertaining.

6 servings

35 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for grill
•3 tablespoons crushed unsalted, roasted almonds
•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•1 tablespoon drained capers
•1 teaspoon honey
•to taste Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
•2 bunches broccolini
•1 bunch Tuscan kale
•1½ pounds Italian sausage
•1 whole lemon
•2 ounces mild Pecorino
•shaved

Cooking Instructions

1.
Prepare a grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off; for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill); oil grate. Mix almonds, lemon juice, capers, honey, and 4 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper.
10 min
2.
Combine broccolini and kale in a large bowl and drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Toss well to evenly coat vegetables; season with salt.
5 min
3.
Grill sausage over direct heat until browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Move to indirect heat and continue to cook, turning and rotating occasionally, until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
13 min
4.
Meanwhile, cook broccolini and kale over direct heat until kale is lightly browned and crisp around the edges and broccolini stem is crisp-tender, about 1 minute for kale and 3 minutes for broccolini. Transfer back to bowl.
3 min
5.
Grill lemon slices over direct heat until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to bowl with broccolini and kale and add half of dressing and half of Pecorino. Toss to combine; season salad with salt and pepper.
2 min
6.
Mound some of the salad on top of the sausage and leave some in the bowl. Drizzle remaining dressing over all of the salad and top with remaining Pecorino.
2 min

Ingredients

•5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for grill

•3 tablespoons crushed unsalted, roasted almonds

•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

•1 tablespoon drained capers

•1 teaspoon honey

•to taste Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

•2 bunches broccolini

•1 bunch Tuscan kale

•1½ pounds Italian sausage

•1 whole lemon

•2 ounces mild Pecorino

•shaved

Cooking Instructions

Prepare a grill for medium-high, indirect heat (for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off; for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill); oil grate. Mix almonds, lemon juice, capers, honey, and 4 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl; season dressing with salt and pepper.

10 min

Combine broccolini and kale in a large bowl and drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Toss well to evenly coat vegetables; season with salt.

5 min

Grill sausage over direct heat until browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Move to indirect heat and continue to cook, turning and rotating occasionally, until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

13 min

Meanwhile, cook broccolini and kale over direct heat until kale is lightly browned and crisp around the edges and broccolini stem is crisp-tender, about 1 minute for kale and 3 minutes for broccolini. Transfer back to bowl.

3 min

Grill lemon slices over direct heat until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to bowl with broccolini and kale and add half of dressing and half of Pecorino. Toss to combine; season salad with salt and pepper.

2 min

Mound some of the salad on top of the sausage and leave some in the bowl. Drizzle remaining dressing over all of the salad and top with remaining Pecorino.

2 min