Ziti w/Sausage, Onions & Fennel

Recipe courtesy of: Stephen Faccidomo
Photo credits: ​Noële Faccidomo

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 Ingredients:

• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 1 large fennel bulb with stems
• 1/3 cup MOV Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 medium onions, cut into thin half moon slices
  
• 1/2 teaspoon NHHS Sea Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon NHHS Ground Black Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon NHHS Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• Boiling water from pasta-cooking pot
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
• 1 lb. Ziti pasta

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Directions: 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Start cooking the pasta to “not quite” al dente and drain. Reserve at least 5 cups of the pasta water.

While the pasta cooks, in very large skillet pour the 1/3 cup of the MOV EVOO in the skillet set at med-high and add the sausage. Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon cooking until browned, about 2 minutes.

Push the sausage to one side and add the onions sautéing for 2 minutes, then stir together with the sausage.

Push the combined sausage and onion aside and add the fennel and sauté for 2 minutes. Now combine all together—sausage, onions and fennel and add the salt and pepper.

Push the mixture to the side and add the crushed red pepper flake to the pan and toast it for ½ minute. Then combine with the sausage, onions and fennel mixture. 

Follow the same process , pushing everything to a side and add the tomato paste to a hot spot in the pan and let it cook for one minute, it will sizzle.  This process will caramelize the paste, and will add lots of flavor. Then stir everything together.

Now add the 3-4 cups of pasta water to the skillet. Adjust the heat to simmer and cook until the fennel is soft about 6-8 minutes.

Add drained ziti to the skillet and toss pasta and sauce together. Ladle in more water if sauce seems too thick. Continue cooking in pan until the ziti is al dente.

Sprinkle with the freshly grated Pecorino Romano
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​​​Enjoy!

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