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Sausage and fennel ragù with orecchiette

Name: Sausage and fennel ragù with orecchiette
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 3-4
Cuisine: Italian recipes
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 6 good quality pork sausages, casings removed, broken into small chunks; 1 onion, chopped; 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, green tops/fronds reserved; 1 large garlic clove, chopped; 1 tsp chilli flakes; 150ml white wine; 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard; 250g orecchiette; You’ll also need; Large sauté pan

By: Amanda James

Published: 13 Sep 21
Updated: 10 Sep 24

Sausage and fennel ragù with orecchiette

Looking for an easy sausage pasta recipe? This hearty orecchiette with a flavour-packed sausage and fennel ragù is ideal for busy nights.

Open packet of orecchiette to use up? Try it in our orecchiette with burrata, tomatoes and garlic recipe.

Easy
September 2021

Test kitchen approved

Serves 3-4
Hands-on time 30 min

Looking for an easy sausage pasta recipe? This hearty orecchiette with a flavour-packed sausage and fennel ragù is ideal for busy nights.

Open packet of orecchiette to use up? Try it in our orecchiette with burrata, tomatoes and garlic recipe.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 622kcals
Fat: 29.2g (9.7g saturated)
Protein: 20.8g
Carbohydrates: 58.1g (7.1g sugars)
Fibre: 8.2g
Salt: 1.4g

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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
6 good quality pork sausages, casings removed, broken into small chunks
1 onion, chopped
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, green tops/fronds reserved
1 large garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp chilli flakes
150ml white wine
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
250g orecchiette

You’ll also need

Large sauté pan

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Method

Heat the oil in a large non-stick sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the sausagemeat and cook, stirring from time to time, for 10 minutes or until turning crispy and brown.
Lower the heat a little, add the onion and fennel to the pan, then cook for 5 minutes until golden and softening. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, then cook for a minute more. Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to lift any caramelised stuck-on flavour, then simmer for 5 minutes until the wine has almost completely reduced. Stir in the mustard.
Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette according to the pack instructions, then drain, reserving about 250ml of the pasta water.

Over a high heat, add the cooked pasta to the ragù along with just enough pasta water to create a light sauce, then mix. Sprinkle with black pepper and the reserved fennel fronds. Serve with a big green salad, if you like.

Recipe from September 2021 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 622kcals
Fat: 29.2g (9.7g saturated)
Protein: 20.8g
Carbohydrates: 58.1g (7.1g sugars)
Fibre: 8.2g
Salt: 1.4g

delicious. tips

FLAVOUR BOOST Add ½ tsp fennel seeds to the onion to boost the fennel flavour. Toss the pasta with a handful of freshly chopped tarragon and basil and a squeeze of lemon juice, if you have any to hand.