A Very Different Sausage Pasta...

A Very Different Sausage Pasta

You must try this pasta as it is has a unique flavouring – this is one of my favourite pasta dishes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 heaped teaspoons of fennel seeds

2 dried chillies, crumbled

Splash of olive oil

600g of good quality Italian or Pork Sausage, remove the skins

& break into bite sized pieces

1 tbsp dried oregano

Medium glass of white wine

Zest & juice of a lemon

500g of good quality fusilli or penne

Sea salt and Pepper freshly ground

A couple of knobs of butter

Handful of freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve

A small bunch of fresh fat leaf parsley, leaves picked & chopped

Method

1.      Place the fennel seeds and chillies in a pestle & mortar and bash until crushed; put to one side.

2.      Heat a large heavy bottomed frying pan or wok and add a splash of olive oil.  Add the sausage meat to the pan and really break it up in the pan.  Fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to colour.  Continue to crush until it resembles mince.

3.      Add the fennel seeds and chillies and cook on a medium heat until the meat is crisp, golden and slightly caramelised.

4.      Add the oregano then pour in the white wine; reduce the liquid by half.

5.      Add the zest and lemon juice and turn the heat to low.

6.      In the meantime start to cook the pasta as per packet instructions.  When the pasta is cooked to perfection drain the pasta reserving some of the cooking water.  Place the pasta back in the pan and add the sausage meat.

7.      Stir the pasta making sure all the lovely flavours coat the pasta and then add the butter, parmesan, chopped parsley and a few spoonfuls of the reserved water.  The pasta will look shiny with the sauce; taste for seasoning then serve with a bit more parmesan grated on the top.

8.      Pour yourself a glass of chilled wine and enjoy!!