Fennel & Sausage Rigatoni

Onion, garlic and fennel paired with sweet Italian sausage, fresh parmesan and cracked black pepper make for a homemade pasta dish that will make you want to skip going out for Italian and stay in to give this recipe a try.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: Six 1-cup servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ medium yellow onion, diced

1 cup fennel, diced (about 1 medium sized bulb)

3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 pound ground Italian sausage (I use mild, feel free to use a spicier version if you like more heat)

1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon ground fennel powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 pound (one whole bag) rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup pasta water set aside

Optional for garnish: Chopped fresh Italian parsley, and an additional 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan or parmigiano reggiano

Instructions

1. Prep pasta water by filling a large pot about 3/4 full and heating to a boil over high heat; salt water generously.

2. In a large skillet, brown Italian sausage. Discard excess grease and set cooked sausage aside.

3. In the same skillet, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and fennel and sauté for 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute until garlic is fragrant.

4. Add tomato paste and cook down for a minute or two so it caramelizes. (browns up a bit)

5. Add wine to deglaze the pan, cook for a minute or two, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan while the alcohol cooks off.

6. Add cooked sausage, fennel powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the pan and stir until incorporated then add cream and milk and give everything a good stir. Turn the heat up slightly to bring the sauce to a simmer; simmer on low for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.

7. While the sauce is cooking, add the rigatoni to the boiling water and prepare according to the package. I like to cook mine slightly al dente, so about 10-12 minutes, as the pasta will continue to cook a bit once added to the sauce. Before draining, make sure you skim about 1/2 a cup of pasta water from the pot, this adds a nice velvety texture to the sauce and helps everything come together.

8. Once the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and add the grated parmesan cheese and pasta water- stir until combined and then add the cooked pasta. Give everything a good stir for a about a minute so that the pasta is well coated with the sauce and the cheese has melted.

9. Plate the pasta and finish with a sprinkle of parmesan or parmigiano reggiano, cracked black pepper and fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• Parmigiano reggiano isn’t necessary if you don’t have it on hand but if you do, i recommend topping the pasta with a bit of this cheese! Similar to parmesan but a bit richer and nuttier in flavor.

• If you forgot to set some pasta water aside no worries- the dish will still turn out. This step just allows the sauce to come together with a nice, velvety smooth texture from the starch in the water.

• If you like more spice use spicy Italian sausage and garnish with some additional red pepper flakes!
  
  

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup serving)

Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size

Calories: ~550 kcal

Protein: ~23 g

Total Fat: ~30 g

Carbohydrates: ~40 g