Pasta with Italian Sausage and Fennel/Pasta con Salsiccia e Finochio

 Pasta with Italian Sausage and Fennel/Pasta con Salsiccia e Finocchio

IG @ mangia.con.elena

Fennel is as Mediterranean as the sea itself. Eaten raw it has a slightly black licorice flavour and a crunchy texture.
When cooked, the flavour becomes  more delicate and the texture is softened. It can be sautéed, baked, braised and added to pastas, soups and stews. 
Fennel tea is a great digestive tea when your tummy is feeling upset. 

Fennel  is a large part of the Italian Mediterranean diet as it is packed with plant based nutrients and aids in digestion, bloating and inflammation. 
My mother always served fennel as part of the antipasto platter that stayed on the table throughout our meal. We snacked on it between courses and afterwards.
Another exceptional pairing with fennel is Italian sausage when cooked with caramelized fennel, toasted tomato paste, spicy peperoncino and a good sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano.

I first tried this pasta dish several years back and it quickly became a sought after dish from my family. You can replace the pork sausage with turkey sausage if you wish. Just remember to add more seasonings as turkey sausage is not as flavourful. The trick to creating this dish is to allow the onions, fennel and tomato paste to caramelize after each addition. It is in this process that the ingredients meld their flavours. Do not throw out your fennel fronds, wash them and sprinkle over finished pasta. They add a great flavour and look very pleasing.

As with all of my recipes and in keeping with the traditional Mediterranean way of cooking, my measurements are just estimates and my spices are just recommendations. QB or Quanto Basta in my recipes means as much or as little as you would like and need. If you don't like an ingredient then leave it out or add one that you do like! 

Cook by eye  👁(ad occhio) and let your taste buds be your guide.  Remember to season as you go along and build the flavours slowly. Taste test frequently to make sure it is to your liking and adjust if needed! 

Cominciamo

Ingredients

• I 500 g pkg of penne rigate
• 4-5 Italian Sausages (spicy or mild)
• 1 large fennel bulb, washed, cored and sliced into 1/2 inch slices ( you don't want them too thin, bite size)
• 1- 2 onions sliced a bit thinner than fennel
• 3 tbsp of tomato paste
• salt (QB)
• peperoncino (QB, optional)
• grated parmigiano- reggiano
• fresh fennel fronds

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boiling and salt generously. Drop the penne and cook until just slightly under al dente. They will continue to cook in the skillet.
2. While the water is heating, coat bottom of a deep skillet with extra virgin olive oil and heat until shimmering.
3. Remove casings from the sausages and add to pan. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon and  cook until brown and crumbly.
4. Push the sausages to one side of the skillet and add the onions. Cook for about 3-4 minutes until they turn translucent and start to wilt and caramelize a bit.
5. Mix them in with the onions and keep them at side of the pan.
6. Add the fennel to the pan and saute for an additional 3-4 minutes and add to the onions and sausage.
7. Make a spot to add peperoncino and salt and allow it to toast for a  minute before mixing it in the paste. Allow the paste to caramelize and toast up before mixing it into the rest of the ingredients.
8. Stir all together, then add a ladle full of pasta water. Bring to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes or so. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a bit more  pasta water. 
9. Once pasta is ready, use a spider to transfer it directly to skillet. Mix it all together and keep cooking until penne are perfect.
10. Adjust your seasonings, add fronds, grated cheese and serve.
11. Have some additional peperoncino and grated cheese at the table.
12. Enjoy!

A Mangia,

Elena💚