Fall

Caramelized Fennel Pasta with Sausage

September  7, 2017
5
2 Ratings
Photo by Vicky | Things I Made Today
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Caramelized Fennel Pasta with Sausage topped with ground pepper —Vicky | Things I Made Today

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 16 ounces rigatoni
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 Italian sausages
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 medium sized fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • Freshly ground pepper
Directions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving about ½-3/4 cup cooking liquid. Set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook until outside browns and inside is done, about 6-10 minutes. Transfer to cutting board. Once slightly cooled, slice into ½-1 inch pieces on the diagonal.
  3. Turn heat down a bit and add butter. Once butter has melted, stir in fennel and salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the fennel starts to brown. Add in shallot and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Next, stir in lemon juice and white wine vinegar, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Turn up the heat to medium high and add sliced sausage back into saucepan. Add in pasta, a ¼ cup of reserved pasta water, Parmesan cheese, and thyme. Stir well to make sure everything is nicely coated. If pasta looks too dry, add an additional ¼ cup pasta water and continue to stir and cook. Adjust salt to taste and top with freshly ground black pepper before serving.

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2 Reviews

avbisaillon June 8, 2020
Just wondering how much garlic to use? One clove? It isn’t listed in the ingredients.
 
alex M. November 26, 2019
I loved this recipe and will absolutely make it again. It was easy and delicious. I did make my own pasta and also added tomato paste, and used white wine rather than white wine vinegar. In the interest of laziness, I cooked the sausage in with the fennel and it worked just fine!