It’s quick, easy to prepare, bursting with flavour and a real crowd pleaser. The sausages are the star of the show in this dish, so good quality sausages from Palfrey and Hall are a necessity! It just so happens that our favourite local butcher, stock incredible pork and fennel sausages which are perfect for this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 Fennel finely chopped with throngs.
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 8 Fennel sausages
• Pappardelle pasta
• 10 Fennel seeds – finely ground
• 1 finely chopped shallot.
• 2 wet garlic cloves
• 200ml white wine
• 200ml of double cream
• 6 sage leaves sage
• Fresh parmesan

Instructions

1. Remove the throngs from the fennel and save for later
2. Slice the fennel lengthways at 2-3mm thickness, place on a baking tray, and season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil
3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and cook the fennel for 30-40 mins. Keep an eye on the fennel, you want it to be caramelized not burnt! Remember to turn the fennel mid-way during the cooking process
4. While the fennel is cooking, take the fennel sausages and de-skin. Place sausages in a frying pan, on medium heat, and break up the sausages. Don’t stir too much, as you want the sausage to colour and obtain crispy, flavourful edges
5. At this time, put a pan of hot water with a generous sprinkle of salt on the hob and add the pappardelle. The pasta will normally take between 13-16 minutes for al-dente
6. Using a pestle and mortar, break up around ten fennel seeds and add to the meat, with two garlic cloves finely cut and the shallots. Be careful not to burn the garlic or onion
7. Once the sausage is cooked – normally after twenty minutes – deglaze the pan with 125ml of white wine and stir until the liquid is absorbed
8. Add the roasted fennel
9. In a separate pan, pour the double cream and add the sage to infuse with the cream – do not boil
10. Add the cream to the fennel and sausage mix and add the cooked pappardelle. Stir on a low heat, adding pasta water to the pan to thicken sauce if required
11. Complete your plate with fresh parmesan and finish with the fennel throngs that were saved from earlier

Wine Pairing by Su from the Imperial Wine Company

Su is throwing us a curve ball with this wine paring! ‘I think I’ll go for a Sangiovese here; it will be great with the sausage and should be able to cope with the fennel aspect and the herby notes of the sage cream.’
They sell Fantini Sangiovese at £12.45, and this delicious red wine is bursting with ripe cherries and complimented with earthy, strawberry notes. It has silky, soft tannins that will pair perfectly with this delicious creamy, sausage-based pasta dish.

Where to buy the ingredients

We sourced the sausages from Palfrey and Hall, fresh garlic, fennel, sage and shallot from Giddens and Thompson, parmesan from the Earsham Street Delicatessen and pappardelle from the Little Green Wholefood Shop.

Need more inspiration…?

Why not try our delicious pappardelle with braised pork cheek ragu? Slow braised pork cheeks cooked with chicken stock red wine and vegetables. A delicious, hearty alternative and well worth the wait!