RECIPE: Pasta Evangelists Creamy Sicilian Sausage and Fennel Sauce #Blogmas2023

I wanted to share this recipe, I tried the meal you can get almost made up, click here, so thought I would try making it from scratch.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 600g fresh pasta of your choice (we love the Sicilian favourite, rigatoni)

• 900g pork sausage meat

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 120g fresh fennel with tops, chopped

• 4g fennel seeds, roughly ground

• 4g fresh chilli, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 80ml white wine

• 100ml chicken stock

• 400ml single cream

• 2tbsp olive oil

• Salt & pepper, to taste

Method

Step 1: Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage meat, using a fork or wooden spatula to break the meat into small pieces. Allow to fry for around 10 minutes, until the sausage is nicely browned.

Step 2: Add the onion, fennel (not including the fennel tops), fennel seeds, chilli and garlic. Fry the mixture for a further 15 minutes or so.

Step 3: Add the wine, allowing the mixture to cook until the alcohol evaporates. Add the stock, season with salt and pepper, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer gently for half an hour.

Step 4:After this time, stir in the cream and fennel tops.

Step 5: Bring a pan of generously salted water to a rolling boil, before adding your chosen pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente.

Step 6: Strain the pasta, reserving a cup or so of cooking water. Add the pasta to the pan containing the sauce. Toss to combine, adding a splash of starchy cooking water as necessary to loosen the sauce.

Step 7: Serve immediately, finishing the dish with more freshly cracked black pepper and Italian hard cheese.