Rigatoni with fennel sausage sauce

Name: Rigatoni with fennel sausage sauce
Prep time: 14 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 34 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 ½ tbsp olive oil; 6 italian fennel sausages; 1 onion; 1 fennel bulb; ½ tsp smoky paprika; 1 clove garlic; 2 tsp fennel seeds; ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp red wine; 14 oz chopped tomatoes; ½ tsp superfine sugar; 1 ¾ oz pitted black olives; 1.1 lb rigatoni; 1 oz pecorino; 1 anchovy fillet; 1 clove garlic; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 ¾ oz basil leaves

An Italian dinner made with pork. Ready in about 1 hour 34 minutes. Difficulty: medium.

14 minPrep (about)
1 hr 20 minCook (about)
1 hr 34 minTotal time
4Servings
MediumDifficulty

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Ingredients

How many people?

− 5 people +

Changed from 4 to 5 people · Back to 4

Main ingredient

8 italian fennel sausages

Fresh & other

1 onion
1 fennel bulb
1 clove garlic
½ cup + 1 ½ tsp red wine
1.1 lb chopped tomatoes Shopping tip: Canned diced tomatoes (14.5 oz can = about 1¾ cups).
¾ tsp superfine sugar Shopping tip: Superfine sugar (UK: caster). Regular sugar works.
2 ¼ oz pitted black olives
1.4 lb rigatoni
1 ⅓ oz pecorino
1 anchovy fillet
1 clove garlic
2 ¼ oz basil leaves Shopping tip: Fresh basil leaves, not dried.

Sauces & oils

3 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup + 1 tbsp olive oil

Spices & seasonings (2): smoky paprika, fennel seeds

¾ tsp smoky paprika
2 ½ tsp fennel seeds

How to make it

Steps in our own plain words.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a big cook pan for which you have a lid.
Add the sausage pieces.
Fry on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, until golden-brown all over.
Stir regularly.
Move the sausages to a plate.
Add your onion and fennel to the hot pan.
Fry for 15 minutes, until soft and caramelised.
If the pan goes a bit dry.
Add teaspoon or so of extra oil.
Stir when in a while.
Stir in half the fennel seeds, garlic and the paprika.
Fry for two minutes more.
Pour on the wine.
Boil.
Keep going for 30 seconds, to reduce by half.
Add the half a teaspoon of, the seared sausage, ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp water, sugar and tomatoes salt, cover.
Simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the lid after 10 minutes.
Heat until the sauce is thick and rich.
Take it off the heat.
Mix through the olives and remaining fennel seeds.
Put it to one side until you’re ready to serve.
Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the pasta.
Cook for 12-14 minutes, until al dente.
While that cooks, reheat the sauce.
Drain the pasta.
Return it to the pot.
Stir in a tablespoon of oil.
Split it between the bowls.
Put all your pesto ingredients except the basil in the little bowl of a food processor.
Add a tablespoon of water plus blitz to a rough paste.
Add the basil.
Blitz until mixed.
Spoon over the ragù.
Top with a spoonful of pesto.
Finish using sprinkling of chopped fennel, if you have any.
Serve at when.

On the side: Garlic bread

A side we added to round out the meal. It is not part of the original recipe.

How to make it (15 min)

Heat the oven to 400°F. Mash the soft butter with the minced garlic.
Split the bread, spread on the garlic butter and bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Slice.