Weeknight Sausage & Fennel Pasta
Hearty and light, the combination of sausage and sunny aromatics like fennel and peppers can supply a satisfying summer supper without turning your kitchen into a sauna.
When the late summer sun beats the life out of everything but the sidewalk, laboring over a hot meal feels almost unbearable. Having something cold for dinner doesn’t sound very appealing either, though. Unless maybe you’re having ice cream, in which case you don’t need any recipes - just spoons! When no one wants to decide what to eat or stand in a hot kitchen for more than a few minutes, this recipe can save your sanity . Peppers and fennel brighten hefty pork sausage, while a little pasta and some wilted greens take them to the finish line.
Sausage & Fennel Pasta
Ingredients
4 pork or chicken sausages, cut into 1/2” rounds, I like Italian, but feel free to use your favorite
1-2 tsp olive oil as needed
1 fennel bulb, tender white parts, thinly sliced
1 onion thinly sliced
1 sweet bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup chopped greens (collard or kale are best)
1/3 cup dry white wine or sherry
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 tsp pepper jelly or honey
1 lb. pkg pasta, use orichiette, shells, or a shape similar in size to the sausage slices
Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Directions
Slice the sausage and all your vegetables ahead.
Heat a large skillet to medium and cook the sausage through, about 5-10 minutes. Add a little olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.
Remove the sausage from the pan and. If the sausage didn’t leave behind much fat, add a little olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the fennel, onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook about 15 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender and no longer crunchy. Add the pepper jelly and chopped greens and cook another 5 minutes until the greens are wilted and tender.
Add the wine and cook until the alcohol has evaporated and the liquid is reduced by about half, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan as you go.
Turn the heat to low and add the sausage back to the pan. Toss to evenly distribute.
Make the pasta. Follow package instructions for al dente pasta. Season the pasta water with a heavy dose of salt so that it tastes like the sea. The water will seem salty, but this will ensure that the pasta itself gets seasoned as it absorbs some of the water.
Spoon the cooked pasta back into the sausage mixture and toss to coat the pasta. Allow some pasta water to go into the pan to loosen the vegetables and help make a sauce.
Serve with a grated Parmesan.
