Proper Blokes Sausage Pasta Recipes

Steps:

• Bash the fennel seeds and chiles in a flavor shaker, pestle and mortar, or a spice grinder until coarsely crushed. Set aside.
• Heat 2 TB good olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
• Put the sausage filling in the pan, breaking it up. Fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to color and the fat starts to render out of it, then break it up again until it resembles coarse ground beef.
• Add the bashed up fennel and chiles, and cook over medium high heat for about ten minutes, until the meat becomes crisp, golden brown, and slightly caramelized.
• Stir in the oregano, then add the white wine and stir until it is reduced by half.
• Add the lemon zest and juice.
• Turn down to low while you cook your noodles al dente (follow the package instructions precisely for perfect al dente every time).
• When pasta is al dente, drain it in a colander, keeping 1/2 cup of the pasta water aside.
• Toss the pasta with the meat in the pan until coated, add the butter, parmesan, fresh thyme and spoonfuls of the reserved pasta water until you have a lovely, shiny, loose sauce. Check for seasoning (more salt? pepper? chile powder?) and top with parmesan, server immediately.

Steps:

• Bash up the fennel seeds and chillies in a pestle and mortar or Flavor Shaker until coarsely crushed, then put to one side. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins and put into the pan, really breaking it up using the back of a spoon. Fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to color and the fat has rendered slightly, then crush it once more so it resembles coarse mince. Add the bashed-up fennel seeds and chillies and cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes until the meat becomes crisp, golden brown and slightly caramelized.
• Stir in your oregano, then pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce by half. Add the lemon zest and juice. Turn the heat down to low while you cook your pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water according to the package instructions. When the pasta has cooked al dente, drain it in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water, and toss it in the pan with your sausagemeat. Coat the pasta in all the lovely flavors then add the butter, Parmesan, chopped parsley and a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water. This will give you a lovely loose, shiny sauce. Taste and check for seasoning, then serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan sprinkled over the top.