Fennel and Sausage Sauce for Pasta

Wonderful fennel is so underused.  In Fennel and Sausage Sauce for Pasta, it becomes one of the stars, sharing top billing with Italian sausage with fennel seeds.  The fennel pieces, fennel seeds in the sausage and feathery fronds team up to keep the delightful licorice taste at the forefront of this dish. Hearty and so tasty, the different elements flavors, textures and shapes in Fennel and Sausage Sauce for Pasta are perfect when paired with Rigatoni, Penne, Ziti, Mostaccioli or Cavatappi pasta.  Start with a Wilted Arugula Salad, then on to Fennel and Sausage Sauce for Pasta, both accompanied by a Pinot Grigio for one of our favorite dinners; we hope it becomes one at your house too.

Prep Time: 30 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes Serves 4.

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Ingredients:

• 1 large Fennel
• 1 medium Onion, peeled and trimmed
• 2 Tbs. Cooking Oil (Olive/Canola Oil blend preferred)
• 4 links Italian Sausage with Fennel Seed, 2 hot and 2 mild
• 2 cloves Garlic, peeled and trimmed
• ¼ Tsp. Crushed Red Pepper flakes
• 2 Tbs. Capers, drained
• 1 tsp. Fresh Parsley, rinsed and finely chopped
• 1 Tb. Fresh Basil leaves, rinsed and finely slivered
• 1/3 Cup Dry White Wine
• 2 oz/57 grams Rigatoni, Penne, Ziti, Mostaccioli or Cavatappi pasta per person
• Sea Salt for the pasta water
• Grated Parmigiano and Romano cheeses at the table

Preparation:

1. Rinse the fennel, core the bulb and trim the stalks tips. Trim off the feathery fronds, mince and set aside in a small bowl. Chop the balance of the fennel bulb and stalks into small, bite-size pieces and set aside in a second bowl.
2. Chop the onion and add to the fennel pieces in the second bowl.
3. Remove the sausage from its casings and crumble the meat into a mixing bowl, combining the contents of all four links.
4. Heat the cooking oil in a deep, frying pan over a medium-high heat.
5. Add the crumbled sausage to the pan and cook uncovered, working in batches, if necessary, so that the sausage browns. Once the sausage has browned, remove it with a slotted spoon to a bowl, allowing the liquid to drain into the pan. There should be about three tablespoons of liquid remaining in the saucepan; pour off any excess of this amount.
6. Mince the garlic cloves while the sausage is browning.
7. Put a large, well-salted pot of water to boil and measure out of pasta per person.
8. Reduce the heat to medium and add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; sauté until the garlic just begins to soften.
9. Add the fennel, onion and capers to the pan, stir all ingredients together, cover and sauté until the fennel and onion have begun to soften.
10. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the browned sausage, parsley, basil and white wine to the pan. Stir together to mix and cook uncovered, reducing the liquid by half.
11. Drain the al dente cooked pasta and combine with the sauce in the pan, gently stirring together the sauce and pasta.
12. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds.
13. Serve immediately, accompanied by combined grated Parmesan and Romano cheeses.