Fennel Sausage Pasta
This fennel pasta can be made with or without sausage (in this case, vegetarian sausage.) It highlights the subtle sweetness of cooked fennel, and is a great dish to try if you're new to cooking with fennel.
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 492kcal
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!
Video
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 915mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 294IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 16mg
