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Caramelized fennel and sausage pasta


  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large fennel bulb, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 lb ground sausage, mild or spicy (you choose!)
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • ½ lb pasta
  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. Toss fennel with olive oil, salt and pepper and arrange on a baking sheet in one layer. Roast for 25-35 minutes, until fennel is soft and caramelized around the edges, tossing once during baking.
  3. While fennel is roasting, heat a large skillet over medium. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat, until almost cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
  4. Add shallot, garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and continue cooking, until shallots soften and sausage gets a little crispy in spots.
  5. Meanwhile, when water comes to boil, add pasta and cook to al dente according to package instructions.
  6. When pasta is done, reserve about a cup of pasta water, drain noodles and add to pan with sausage (alternatively, you can just transfer pasta to pan with tongs).
  7. Add fennel to pasta, along with ½ cup of pasta water and parmesan cheese. Toss until everything comes together. Add more pasta water as needed if pasta looks a little dry.
  8. Serve with more parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil if desired.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes