Ricotta penne with sausage and fennel

A heavy (with veggies!) pasta dinner

---

• Best for: dinner, serves 4-6

• Difficulty: medium

• Time: 45 minutes

• Recommended pairings: a light green salad

• If you like this, try... Spaghetti with roasted brussels sprouts and parmesan

---

This may look like alfredo, as my brother said excitedly when I put this on the table, but it isn't. The sauce is definitely creamy and cheesey, but the white wine, chicken broth, and herbs/spice medley makes it much more complex and rich. I like to think of this as the warm-weather alfredo, but you can call it "light" if that brings you some peace. This recipe makes a huge bowl, so this is perfect for a summer dinner party.

Ingredients

1 lb pasta (I used penne, and would also recommend pappardelle or rigatoni)

4 tbsp olive oil

1 pound cooked garlic sausage, sliced diagonally

1 fennel bulb cored and julienned

1/2 cup diced yellow onion, about 1/2 onion

5 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp fresh thyme

1/2 tsp fennel powder

1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes

1 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

2/3 cup fresh ricotta

1/4 cup torn fresh flat-leaf parsley

approx 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

---

First...

*Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

Then...

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Add the sausage to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until browned. Add the fennel and leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the wine, cream cheese, onion, garlic, fennel seeds, chili pepper flakes, salt and thyme. Cook until the wine is reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth and butter and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.

Add the pasta water and the pasta to the sauté pan with the sauce. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta, about 30 seconds.

Finally...

Transfer to a large serving bowl, top with the ricotta and toss to combine.

Sprinkle the parmesan and parsley on top with ground pepper, and serve.

* I made the pasta before everything else because I only have one stovetop (which has made my past 3 months of cooking a race against time). If you can, put the pasta on while making the sausage/sauce mixture, and it will fresh and hot when you add it to the pot.