Sausage and Fennel Pasta

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 5 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

10 oz (300 g) orecchiette or another short pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb (450 g) Italian sausage, casing removed

1 small red onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup (200 ml) passata

1/3 cup (30 g) Parmesan, grated

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

6-8 fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the package. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan and cook the sausage for 4-5 minutes over medium heat, breaking it up with your spoon as you go, until golden or even slightly crispy.

Add the onion and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes until softened. Next, stir in the garlic, crushed fennel and red chili flakes and cook for another minute.

Stir in the tomato paste, then deglaze the pan with 1 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir in the passata and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat.

Once the sauce has thickened, transfer the cooked pasta to the pot and toss well to cover it with the sauce. Add a bit more of the reserved pasta water if it looks too thick.

Add the grated Parmesan, parsley and basil leaves and stir to combine. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 582
• Total Fat: 37 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 27 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 72 mg
• Sodium: 671 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 31 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 29 g