Jamie Oliver Sausage Fennel Pasta Food

SAUSAGE & FENNEL PASTA

Steps:

• Trim the spring onions, carrot and celery. Roughly chop all the vegetables, then blitz in the food processor with the chillies (stalks removed). Add the sausages, 1 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of oregano. Keep pulsing until well mixed, then spoon this mixture into a large frying pan on a high heat with a lug of olive oil, breaking it up and stirring as you go. Keep checking on it and stirring while you get on with other jobs.
• Fill a large deep saucepan with boiling water. Season well then add the penne and cook according to packet instructions, with the lid askew.
• Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the sausage mixture and stir in 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes. Add a little of the starchy cooking water from the pasta to loosen if needed.
• Drain the pasta, reserving about a wineglass worth of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan of sauce and give it a gentle stir, adding enough of the cooking water to bring it to a silky consistency. Taste, correct the seasoning, then tip into a large serving bowl and take straight to the table with the Parmesan for grating over. Scatter over a few basil leaves.

SARAH MILLICAN'S TUSCAN SAUSAGE & TOMATO PASTA

Steps:

• Peel the onion, carrot and celery, then finely chop with the basil stalks (reserving the leaves).
• Place a large pan on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then squeeze the sausagemeat out of the skins into the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go. Fry for a few minutes, then add the fennel seeds, oregano and chilli flakes, and strip in the rosemary.
• Stir in the chopped veg and basil stalks, then peel and finely grate in the garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• Pour the balsamic into the pan and leave to bubble away and reduce slightly. Scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands, then add 1 tin's worth of water and the larger basil leaves. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, or until thickened.
• With around 10 minutes to go, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of cooking water.
• Toss the drained pasta into the sausage pan, loosening with a little reserved cooking water, if needed. Taste and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, then remove from the heat.
• Finely grate in the Parmesan, scatter over the remaining basil leaves, and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Delicious served with pinches of lemony rocket and an extra grating of Parmesan.

SAUSAGE PASTA

Steps:

• Chop the broccoli florets off the stalk.
• Cut the woody end off the stalk, halve the stalk lengthways and put into a large pan of boiling salted water with the sausages and whole chilli(es).
• Pop the lid on, boil for 5 minutes, then remove, leaving the water on the lowest heat.
• Meanwhile, chop the broccoli florets into nice bite-sized chunks and put aside for later.
• Once cool enough to handle, finely slice the sausages, broccoli stalk and chilli and place in a large frying pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, the fennel seeds and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
• Stir and fry while you peel and finely slice the garlic and onions.
• Once the sausage is lightly golden, stir in the garlic, followed a minute later by the onions, then pick in the oregano leaves. Cook for 15 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• Add the vinegar and cook completely away, then pour in the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Half-fill the tin with water, swirl around and pour into the pan.
• Simmer for 15 more minutes, or until thickened, then taste and season to perfection.
• Meanwhile, bring the pan of water back up to boil, and cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, adding the broccoli florets for the last 4 minutes.
• Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving a mugful of cooking water. Toss through the sauce, loosening with a little reserved water, if needed.
• Finely grate in most of the Parmesan and toss together, then serve with the rest of the Parmesan grated over the top.

SPICY SAUSAGE FUSILLI

Steps:

• Crumble the chillies into a pestle and mortar, then bash with the fennel seeds until coarsely crushed. Put to one side.
• Heat a lug of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a high heat. Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins or add the pork mince to the pan, really breaking it up with the back of a wooden spoon. Fry for a few minutes, or until the meat starts to colour and the fat has rendered slightly, then push it down once more so it resembles coarse mince.
• Add the bashed-up fennel seeds and chillies and cook over a medium heat for around 10 minutes, or until the meat becomes crisp, golden brown and slightly caramelised.
• Stir in the oregano, then pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce by half. Finely grate over the zest of 1 lemon, then squeeze over the juice and turn the heat down to low.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions.
• When the pasta has cooked but still has a bit of bite, drain it in a colander, reserving a mugful of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the meat pan, then toss to coat in all those lovely flavours, loosening with a good splash of the reserved cooking water, if needed.
• Grate in the Parmesan, then pick, roughly chop and add the parsley leaves. Taste and check the seasoning, then serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan sprinkled over the top.
• Jamie's top tip Remember to buy the best sausages you can afford - if you get cheap, dodgy sausages it just won't work.

PROPER BLOKES' SAUSAGE FUSILLI

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.