Orecchiette with Italian Sausage and Peas

I had a variation on this dish many years ago at Osteria Mozza, and I've been making it once in a while ever since.  My version is made with my house made Italian sausage (ground pork, ground fennel, chopped garlic, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and S&P) crumbled and browned in a frying pan.  In the meantime, I boiled the oricchiette and added the peas to the water for the last 2 minutes of cooking, then combined everything in the pan and tossed it together with a few glugs of extra virgin olive oil for a minute or two.  For a finishing touch, I grated some Parmesan cheese over the top.  The original version pairs the sausage with a bitter green like broccoli rabe, but I hate broccoli and its relatives with a passion, and the sweetness of the peas works just as well with the spiciness of the sausage.  Another option is spinach...that's the beauty of cooking; you can always substitute ingredients to your own personal taste.