Hearty Italian Sausage Rigatoni with Creamy Fennel Sauce

Ingredients

- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 bulb fennel, sliced thinly
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Prepare the Pasta
Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the rigatoni pasta and cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Sauté the Aromatics
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sliced fennel. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the fennel is tender, about 8 minutes.

3. Cook the Sausage
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sweet Italian sausage to the pan. Break it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and fully cooked through, about 7 minutes.

4. Add Garlic and Seasonings
Stir in the minced garlic, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.

5. Deglaze with Wine
Carefully pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Let it reduce for about 3 minutes.

6. Create the Creamy Sauce
Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the heavy cream, half-and-half, and tomato paste. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until it thickens, about 5 minutes.

7. Combine Pasta and Sauce
Add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Mix in half of the Parmesan cheese, allowing it to melt into the sauce.

8. Serve
Divide the pasta among four bowls. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh parsley.

Total Time

PT40M
40 minutes

Type of Dish

Dinner

Keywords

Italian sausage pasta, creamy fennel sauce, rigatoni recipe, Italian dinner recipe, stove-top cooking, quick dinner, pasta with cream sauce, fennel sausage pasta, easy Italian recipe, gourmet pasta

Recipe Yield

Feeds 4 adults

Calories

Total Calories: 2,200

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