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Italian sausage orzo & fennel
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Italian sausage orzo & fennel

A tomato based orzo pasta dish with Italian sausages and fennel.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Pasta:
  • pork sausage Italian, with fennel, approx. 500-600g
  • olive oil a splash
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 red onion chopped, large
  • 1 fennel bulb the white part, small, sliced and chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • Pinch chilli flakes optional or add more if you like it spicy, crushed
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ cup white wine dry
  • 2 Italian tomatoes 410g tins
  • rosemary a sprig, finely chopped
  • parsley divided, small bunch, chopped
  • 6 sage leaves
  • 4 thyme leaves stripped, small stalks
  • 350 orzo pasta
  • Parmesan Cheese grated, to serve
Pangratatto (optional):
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ cup panko crumbs
  • lemon zest from 3/4
  • 1 clove garlic crushed (optional

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat a large non-stick skillet and add a splash of olive oil.
  2. Remove the sausage from the casings and cut it into small bite-size pieces and roughly roll these into meatballs. You do not want them to be perfect here and can even be left as chunks. Fry these in the pan until golden on all sides then remove and set aside.
  3. Using the same pan with sausage oils, fry the fennel seeds for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the onion and fennel. Fry for around 4- 5 minutes until softened. If they stick add a splash of water or more olive oil. Add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds (do not allow this to burn). Add the tomato paste and cook for a further 30 seconds.
  4. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cook until it has evapourated. Add the tomatoes and then rinse the tomato tins with about half a tin of water and add that to the pan too. Add all the herbs, reserving some of the chopped parsley for the pangratatto and garnish. Allow this sauce to bubble for about 20 minutes.
  5. Cook the orzo pasta according to the pack in instructions (about 8 minutes) and then add it to the tomato sauce along with about a third of a cup of the cooking liquid. Add the cooked sausages and cook for a few minutes until heated through. Adjust seasoning and add salt and black pepper (check the sausage first as they can be quite salty).
  6. While the sauce is cooking, make your pangratatto. Heat the olive oil in a small pan and add all the other ingredients. Stirring constantly cook until golden brown and crispy.
  7. Serve the pasta immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and pangratatto or chopped parsley.

Notes

  • Ay leftovers can be stored in the fridge or freezer.