Description
Hearty pasta with caramelized fennel and spicy sausage. Simple, flavorful, and perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 cups (237 ml) olive oil
- 4 Italian sausages
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 medium sized fennel bulbs (trimmed, cored, and thinly sliced)
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 medium shallot (minced)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cups (59 ml) Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 lbs (454 g) rigatoni
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving ½-¾ cup of cooking liquid. Set aside.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned outside and cooked through, about 6-10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, let cool slightly, then slice into ½-1 inch pieces on the diagonal.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the saucepan. Once melted, stir in fennel and salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the fennel begins to brown. Add shallot and garlic; cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Add sliced sausage, pasta, ¼ cup reserved pasta water, Parmesan cheese, and thyme to the saucepan. Stir well to coat. Add another ¼ cup pasta water if needed. Adjust salt to taste.
- Top with freshly ground black pepper before serving.
Notes
- For deeper fennel flavor, lightly toast the fennel seeds before adding the sliced fennel to the pan.
- If you don’t have white wine vinegar, substitute with an equal amount of apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar.
- To make this a complete meal, add a handful of chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Unsaturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 80