Winter Pasta with Sausage Fennel (Print Version)

Quick pasta with sweet fennel, savory sausage, and light aromatic sauce—ideal for cold nights.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)

→ Sausage

02 - 9 oz Italian sausage, sweet or spicy, casings removed (use plant-based sausage for vegetarian)

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
04 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce & Seasoning

06 - 2 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
08 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Finishing

10 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - Fennel fronds or fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. If using sausage, add it to the pan, breaking up with a spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through (about 4-5 minutes). Remove sausage to a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil. Sauté the fennel and onion with a pinch of salt for 4-5 minutes, until softened and slightly golden. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes until mostly evaporated.
05 - Return sausage to the skillet (if using), add red pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Add drained pasta to the skillet along with reserved pasta water. Toss to coat, then stir in grated Parmesan. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Serve immediately, topped with chopped fennel fronds or parsley and extra Parmesan.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes pasta water to boil, making it perfect for nights when you want something special but cannot spend hours cooking
  • The fennel mellows into something almost creamy when sautéed, converting even people who swear they do not like licorice flavors
02 -
  • Reserving pasta water feels unnecessary until you try skipping it and realize your sauce is dry and separate. That starchy water is the secret ingredient that makes restaurant pasta taste different from homemade.
  • Fennel can taste overwhelmingly licorice-like when raw but transforms into something sweet and mellow when cooked, so do not taste it raw and judge the whole recipe.
03 -
  • Thin slice your fennel. I learned the hard way that thick chunks take forever to soften and never quite integrate into the sauce the way thin slices do.
  • Let the sausage get properly browned. Those crispy bits add texture and depth that make the dish feel like it came from a restaurant kitchen.
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