Winter Pasta with Sausage and Fennel (Printable Version)

Quick-cooking pasta with sweet fennel and savory sausage in a light, aromatic sauce. Ready in 20 minutes for cozy winter dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz short pasta such as penne, rigatoni, or fusilli

→ Sausage

02 - 9 oz Italian sausage, sweet or spicy, casings removed, or plant-based sausage alternative

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

03 - 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
04 - 1 small onion, thinly sliced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce and Seasoning

06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1/4 cup dry white wine, optional
08 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Finishing

10 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving, or vegetarian alternative
11 - Fennel fronds or fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove sausage to a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil. Sauté fennel and onion with a pinch of salt for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened and slightly golden. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Pour in white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Let simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until mostly evaporated.
05 - Return sausage to the skillet, add red pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Add drained pasta along with reserved pasta water. Toss to coat, then stir in grated Parmesan. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Top with chopped fennel fronds or parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, yet tastes like you've been simmering something all day.
  • Fennel does something magical here—it's not aggressively licorice-flavored, just gently sweet and almost caramelized.
  • One pan (well, mostly) means cleanup won't steal the joy from dinner.
02 -
  • Reserve your pasta water before draining—it sounds silly, but that starchy liquid is what transforms loose ingredients into an actual sauce, so don't let it go down the drain.
  • Don't skip the slow cooking of the fennel and onion; this is where sweetness develops, and rushing it means you'll taste raw sharpness instead.
  • If your sauce seems too thick, add pasta water a splash at a time; if it's too thin, let it simmer for another minute without adding more pasta.
03 -
  • If your wine is a bit aggressive or acidic, let it reduce for a full 2 minutes so the sharpness mellows and what's left is pure flavor.
  • Keep some extra pasta water in a mug near the stove; if your finished dish ever looks dry, a splash brings everything back to life without making it soupy.
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