Creamy Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cup fresh fennel or celery (Chopped; use either fennel or celery.)
• 1.5 cup yellow onion (Large, chopped; about 1 ½ cups.)
• 1 lb mild Italian sausage (Bulk, or remove casings.)
• 2 tsp garlic (Minced.)
• 1 tsp fennel seeds (Whole; crushed or chopped.)
• 0.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• salt (To taste for the sauce; the method specifies 2 tsp for the sausage mixture and an additional 2 tbsp for the pasta water.)
• black pepper (To taste for the sauce; the method specifies 1 tsp.)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 0.667 cup half-and-half (Source measurement: 2/3 cup.)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 lb rigatoni pasta
• 0.5 cup fresh parsley (Chopped, divided; ¼ cup is stirred into the pasta, with the remainder for serving.)
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese (Fresh-grated, divided; ½ cup is stirred into the pasta, with the remainder for serving.)
• 2 tsp salt (For the sausage mixture, as specified in the method.)
• 1 tsp black pepper (As specified in the method.)
• 2 tbsp salt (For the pasta water, as specified in the method.)

Steps

1. 1

   Set a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Heat the oil.

2. 2

   Add the chopped fennel or celery and onion. Cook, stirring often, for 7–9 minutes, until softened.

3. 3

   Add the sausage. Cook for 7–9 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned and cooked through.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic, crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Pour in the white wine and bring the mixture to a boil.

6. 6

   Add the heavy cream, half-and-half, and tomato paste. Bring the sauce back to a boil.

7. 7

   Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.

8. 8

   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling water.

9. 9

   Add the rigatoni and cook according to the package directions. Drain the pasta.

10. 10

    Add the drained rigatoni to the sauce and stir to coat.

11. 11

    Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in ¼ cup of the parsley and ½ cup of the Parmesan.

12. 12

    Serve topped with the remaining parsley and Parmesan.

Notes

The author notes that celery can be used in place of fennel; celery provides crunch while the fennel seeds and Italian sausage retain fennel flavor. The article mentions yellow onion and advises against white or red onion. The method gives exact salt and pepper amounts that are more specific than the ingredient list’s ‘to taste.’

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• Italian
• comfort food
• date night