Fennel and sausage are the perfect match in this simple 25 minute fennel sausage pasta. Sautéed fennel has a sweet and subtle flavor that complements the simple but high impact lemon butter sauce.
Sometimes the best dishes are the simplest, and this fennel sausage pasta is here to prove that. I adore the simplicity of my mushroom spinach pasta, so I wanted to make another weeknight-friendly meal that is similar to that one.
Fennel is a divisive vegetable, as it has a taste similar to licorice. However, in an effort to cook with fennel more often, I've found that sautéing it subdues the licorice flavors and brings out a subtle sweetness.
Sausage and fennel are a natural pairing, as fennel seed is a common ingredient in sausage. As this is a vegetarian food blog, I'm using meatless Impossible spicy sausage, but for a more cost-effective option you can replace this with my Italian-seasoned tofu crumbles.
For those who prefer non-spicy food, simply choose a standard Italian sausage or even try my homemade vegan Italian sausage.
Looking for more ways to use fennel? Check out my Fennel Potato Soup or Fennel Pear Salad.
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Recipe highlights
- Cook time: This fennel pasta is ready in just about 20 minutes. It's a great recipe to keep up your sleeve for when you want a quick hot meal.
- The flavors: The pasta is cooked in a lemon garlic butter sauce. The result is comforting butter noodles dappled with sweetness from fennel and brightness from fresh lemon zest.
- New to fennel? This is a great place to start! I made this fennel pasta because I wanted to feel more confident cooking with fennel. This recipe uses the bulb and the fronds of the fennel.
- Serving size: This recipe makes 2-3 portions and uses one standard fennel bulb. It can easily be doubled to make 4-6 portions.
Ingredients
- Sausage: I use spicy Impossible sausage. Any type of sausage should work here. This recipe uses half of a container. Leftover Impossible sausage goes well in this Quinoa Sausage Skillet.
- Pasta: I like to use a medium pasta shape like rigatoni or fusilli, but any variety of pasta works.
- Fennel: This recipe uses one small bulb of fennel or ½ of a large bulb, as well as a few fennel fronds for garnish. Leftover fennel can be used in salads and soups.
- Fennel seed: This is optional but recommended if you enjoy fennel flavor.
- Butter: Because butter is a key ingredient in the sauce, I like to use higher quality butter like Kerrygold.
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice and zest are important here, as they brighten up the dish and are key flavors in the butter sauce. I use two small lemons or one large lemon.
How to cut fennel
I created an entire YouTube video all about how to prepare fennel. If it seems intimidating to cut and prepare fennel, know that it's actually quite easy and is similar to celery but with a large bulb.
Slice away the stalks from the bulb, then slice the base ¼-inch from the bulb. Slice the bulb in half along the longer side.
Similar to as if you were preparing cabbage, use a paring knife to cut away the thick core. This step is not always necessary, as some fennel bulbs have small cores.
From here, you can slice, dice, or chop the fennel. For this fennel pasta, I like to slice the fennel into ¼-inch strips, as seen in the image above.
The stalks, which look like celery, can be sliced or diced and added to the pasta, if desired.
Serving and storage notes
- Serving: Parmesan or asiago cheese are great combinations with fennel. Freshly grate some over each dish. If you are a strict vegetarian, make sure to choose a Parmesan from vegetarian sources.
- This pasta makes great leftovers. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days, then reheat in the microwave for best quality.
More easy pasta recipes
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Recipe
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Fennel Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rigatoni any pasta shape works
- 1 bulb fennel
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 7 ounces (2 links) Impossible sausage or tofu crumbles; see note #1
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed optional
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 large lemon juiced & zested
- vegetarian Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Boil the rigatoni in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve at least ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
- To prepare the fennel, slice off the stalks and slice off the bottom ¼-inch from the base of the fennel bulb. Remove the outer layer if it's wilted or damaged. Slice the bulb in half length-wise. Cut away the inner core if it is very firm; otherwise, keep it. Slice each half into thin strips, like you would an onion. Roughly chop up some of the fennel fronds and set aside for garnishing.
- Add the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the fennel and ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the sliced sausage, minced garlic, optional fennel seed, and optional red pepper flakes. Cook until the sausage is browned and starting to crisp.
- Whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice (about ¼ cup), and ¼ cup pasta water. Stir in the cooked pasta. Add extra pasta water to thin the sauce, if desired.
- Garnish with fennel fronds and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Meatless sausage: Any variety of Impossible or Beyond sausage works here, or you can make your own homemade Italian-seasoned tofu crumbles. These take about 20 minutes to cook and should be fully cooked before adding at step 4 and cooking alongside the garlic.
- This recipe can easily be doubled into 4-6 servings. Just use an entire box of pasta (16 ounces), 4 links of sausage (one package), and 2 large fennel bulbs.
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