Food You Can Eat: Creamy Fennel Sausage Pasta

This is a staple in my household. The original recipe is by Ina Garten. Mine’s a riff off of hers.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5-2lbs chicken fennel sausage (4-5 sausages)
• 1 large fennel bulb
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2tsp fennel seeds (ground by mortar & pestle)
• Chili flakes
• 1 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 2tbsp tomato pasteI
• Italian parsley (chopped)
• Rigatoni
• S&P
• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Chop the fennel and onion into tiny pieces.
2. Add olive oil to a large pan on medium heat. Cook the fennel and onion until translucent.
3. Add crushed garlic, chili flakes and fennel seeds. Stir until fragrant.
4. Turn up the temperature to high. Add the sausage meat without the casings. Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Season with S&P. Use more oil if needed.
5. Meanwhile bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until aldente.
6. When the meat is browned and almost cooked through, pour over the white wine. Cook off the alcohol.
7. Lower the temperature to medium. Add the cream, milk, and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer.
8. Mix in the pasta and keep cooking until it is cooked to your liking.
9. Serve garnished with Italian parsley (this is not just to make the dish seem healthy… it needs that fresh grassy flavor to cut the cream).

SOME NOTES

I use chicken fennel sausage from a local butcher. It’s such a hearty dish that I prefer the chicken sausage over the pork one because it is less greasy and fatty. If you don’t have access to fennel sausage, then up the amount of fennel seeds that you grind.

Rigatoni is a must because it pockets the veges, meat, and sauce well.

This dish doesn’t keep long. It’s best when fresh and lasts about three days before becoming a bit unappetizing. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s the cream sauce? Maybe it’s all in my head.