Rigatoni with fennel sausage sauce
Ingredients
2½ tbsp olive oil
6 cut into 1.5cm-thick slices Italian fennel sausages
1 large peeled and chopped onion
1 trimmed and roughly chopped; reserve any fronds to garnish fennel bulb
½ tsp smoky paprika
1 clove, peeled and sliced garlic
2 tsp lightly toasted and then gently crushed fennel seeds
100ml red wine
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
½ tsp caster sugar
50g cut in half lengthways pitted black olives
500g rigatoni
30g roughly crumbled into 0.5cm pieces pecorino
1 rinsed and patted dry anchovy fillet
1 clove, peeled and crushed garlic
60ml olive oil
50g torn basil leaves
Instructions
1- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large saute pan for which you have a lid.
2- Add the sausage pieces and fry on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden-brown all over.
3- Transfer the sausages to a plate, then add the onion and fennel to the hot pan and fry for 15 minutes, stirring once in a while, until soft and caramelised; if the pan goes a bit dry, add a teaspoon or so of extra oil.
4- Stir in the paprika, garlic and half the fennel seeds, fry for two minutes more, then pour on the wine and boil for 30 seconds, to reduce by half.
5- Add the tomatoes, sugar, 100ml water, the seared sausage and half a teaspoon of salt, cover and simmer for 30 minutes; remove the lid after 10 minutes, and cook until the sauce is thick and rich.
6- Remove from the heat, stir through the olives and remaining fennel seeds and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
7- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 12-14 minutes (or according to the instructions on the packet), until al dente.
8- Meanwhile, reheat the sauce.
9- Drain the pasta, return it to the pot, stir in a tablespoon of oil, then divide between the bowls.
10- Put all the pesto ingredients except the basil in the small bowl of a food processor.
11- Add a tablespoon of water and blitz to a rough paste.
12- Add the basil, then blitz until just combined (the pesto has a much better texture if the basil is not overblended).
13- Spoon over the ragù and top with a spoonful of pesto.
14- Finish with a sprinkling of chopped fennel fronds, if you have any, and serve at once.