Chef Dez's Famous Sausage & Fennel Pasta Recipe!

As a cookbook author and culinary instructor, I write a lot of recipes. Probably the most favourite pasta recipe of the masses would by my Famous Sausage & Fennel Pasta. This recipe is in my "THE BEST IN YOUR KITCHEN" cookbook in the Chef Dez cookbook series.

How it became “famous” is that I have made it for years for family gatherings and everyone always asks for the recipe. My response was always “I don’t have it written down – it’s just in my head!” So finally I put it to paper.

FYI: ‘vegetable stock paste’ is vegetable stock that has been reduced to a paste form. It can be found in most major grocery stores down the broth or spice aisles. The most popular brand is “Better Than Bouillon” made by Superior Touch. It comes in small glass jars and other flavours such as beef, chicken, and turkey. By the way, the words “stock” and “broth” are interchangeable.

            Happy Cooking!

Dez’s Famous Sausage & Fennel Pasta

3 tablespoons olive oil

500g (or 1 pound) mild Italian sausage, casings removed

1 medium onion, diced very small

4 to 6 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons dry fennel seed

1 teaspoon salt

A few grinds of black pepper

156ml (6 oz) can tomato paste

796ml (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes

1 cup of full-bodied red wine

1 teaspoon vegetable stock paste

2 tablespoons white sugar

400g (14 oz) penne pasta or other favourite pasta shape

1 cup whipping cream

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for garnish

1. Add the olive oil, sausage, onion, garlic, fennel seed, salt and pepper to a large heavy bottomed pan.
2. Turn the heat on to medium-high and cook, while breaking up the sausage, until the sausage is fully cooked and in small pieces, approximately 8 to 12 minutes.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, wine, vegetable paste, and sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce over medium heat until the sauce becomes very thick, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Cook your pasta in boiling, liberally salted water to desired consistency (approximately 13 to 15 minutes for penne, but read your package instructions) during this step.
4. Once the sauce has reduced, stir in the whipping cream and then the cooked and drained pasta. Serve immediately garnished with parsley and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Makes approximately 6 portions