I could eat pasta
EVERY
SINGLE
DAY.
This dish may seem like a mouthful to say, but it is so easy to cook and the flavor is outstanding! Chose any sausage you would like. Make it a complete sausage-fest if you dare. I picked a chicken apple sausage to play on the sweetness from the roasted fennel and sun-dried tomato. Contrast it a bit with a mild sausage, or an earthy sun-dried tomato chicken sausage. I regret the fact that I had zero green on hand to perk the pictures of this pasta up. But, I was a busy momma, and going outside to pick some parsley just wasn’t in my “I’m SO hungry!” mom crunch time.
Make this pasta completely meat free and you’ll still be just as smitten.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 package of orecchiette pasta
- 2 fennel bulbs, chopped
- 1 package of chicken sausage, each link cut into slices
- 1 shallot
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 4oz sun-dried tomato packed in oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp butter
- parmesan cheese to garnish if you’d like
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400* Line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with nonstick spray
Clean and chop your fennel into 1/4 inch chunks. Place all the prepared fennel onto your baking sheet, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper, and let roast for 25 minutes at 400*
Get your pot of water going for the pasta, so that your pasta can cook while you prep the rest.
In a large sauce pan, start by browning the slices of chicken sausage in the pan with olive oil, along with the minced shallot, garlic powder, and a pinch of s +p.
Once the chicken sausage is slightly brown, add the sun-dried tomatoes along with the oil that comes out with them. Let everything cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until everything is warmed through.
Take the fennel out of the oven, and add it to the sauce pan. Stir everything together.
Once the pasta is aldente, strain, and add it all to the sauce pan. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, and stir everything together.
Feel free to add parmesan cheese to the dish at this point. Or, additional butter or olive oil if you see the need for it. Finalize with a dash of salt and pepper if needed.
Hope this recipe was not to vague, I really go with the flow when it comes to making pasta dishes …. taste as you go!
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