Fennel Sausage Pasta Recipe

Some pastas are built for comfort, and this one leans in. The backbone is a quick homemade sausage made with ground pork, freshly ground fennel seed and black pepper, fresh parsley, and a splash of red wine. Grating the garlic allows it to melt directly into the meat, giving you that familiar Italian-sausage aroma without any tough bits. While the water for the pasta comes to a boil, the sausage browns and sizzles, leaving savory drippings that become the foundation of the sauce.

A splash of tomato sauce cooks down in the same skillet until it deepens and sweetens, then a ladle of starchy pasta cooking liquid loosens the fond. From there, it’s all about building an emulsion: Butter added in stages, whisked with pasta water as needed, turns into a silky, glossy sauce that coats every strand of pasta. Folding in Parmigiano-Reggiano at the end tightens the sauce and brings a savory finish, and a parsley mix-in lifts the dish’s richness.

We love fresh tagliatelle or fettuccine for their tender bite and quick cook time, but dried pasta works beautifully if that’s what’s on hand. The result is a hearty, winter-friendly bowl that tastes like it took all afternoon yet comes together in about 35 minutes.

Opt for fatty pork

Fatty pork makes better sausage because fat equals moisture, flavor, and tenderness. During grinding and mixing, fat helps proteins form a stable emulsion that traps juices, so links stay plump instead of crumbly. It lubricates lean meat, preventing toughness and excessive shrinkage while cooking. Fat also melts, basting the interior and carrying spices, herbs, smoke, and heat-soluble aromas. Aim for roughly 25% to 30% fat for balanced juiciness, snap, and browning.

Fresh pasta is more than fast 

Fresh pasta excels with thick sauces because its softer, moist dough and egg-rich surface absorb and cling to dense ragùs and cream reductions. As it cooks, it releases more surface starch, helping emulsify butter, fat, and cheese into a glossy coating that hugs each strand. Broad shapes like tagliatelle and pappardelle spread sauce evenly without breaking. Quick cooking protects the sauce from over-reducing. Dried pasta’s firmer texture suits lighter, oilier preparations better than heavy ones.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen 

• Keep pasta cooking liquid lightly salted so you can use plenty to build the emulsion without oversalting the dish.
• Add butter in stages over gentle heat. Constant tossing helps the emulsion stay glossy instead of greasy.
• Fresh pasta cooks in about 2 minutes: Have the skillet hot and ready so nothing overcooks.

Suggested pairing

Pair this warming sausage pasta with a classic, lightly herbal Tuscan red, such as Tenuta di Nozzole Chianti Classico Riserva.

This recipe was developed by Joe Kindred; the text was written by Breana Killeen.