Mac and cheese with pimento and chicken sausage

Ingredients:

• 220 g of pasta
• 1 bunch broccolini (about 200 g), chopped
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 raw sweet Italian sausages (about 70g each), casings removed
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 and 3/4 cups milk
• 90 g of cream cheese
• 1 and 3/4 cups grated cheddar (about 200 g)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 can (110g) chopped pimento peppers, drained
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Preparation:

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, adding the broccolini 2 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage; cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon.
3. Add the flour to the rendered fat in the skillet; cook, stirring, until completely absorbed, 1 minute. Whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cream cheese until smooth, then add the cheddar, cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir until the cheese is melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the pasta and broccolini, sausage, and pimento.
4. Preheat oven to broil. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the microwave; add breadcrumbs and sprinkle the mixture over the pasta. Grill until golden brown, about 3 minutes.