Sausage & Fennel Pasta with Crushed Tomato Sauce
User Reviews
5
Sausage & Fennel Pasta with Crushed Tomato Sauce
Description
The recipe begins by slicing the fennel bulb as thinly as possible after removing stalks and outer layers if thick. Fennel is cooked in olive oil with salt until edges brown slightly, then garlic and red pepper flakes are added to build flavor. Vegan sausage is crumbled or sliced into the pan and browned.
Crushed canned whole peeled tomatoes are stirred in to create a sauce that simmers until melded. Pasta is cooked separately while spinach is chopped and incorporated toward the end with fresh basil or parsley and nutritional yeast, adding cheesy umami without dairy.
This dish has a balance of savory sausage, the anise-like flavor of fennel, mild spice, and fresh herbal notes. The pasta cooks al dente with spinach providing a slight bitterness and freshness. The tomato sauce is rustic with crushed tomatoes giving natural texture and acidity.
The dish suits those looking for a plant-based pasta with spicy sausage flavor and offers substitutions such as different vegan sausages or pasta types. Spinach and herbs can be adjusted to taste.
Ingredients
- 1 fennel bulb large
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic grated or minced, cloves
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, omit for mild)
- 2 links of vegan sausage (7 to 8 oz or ~200g, ideally spicy or Italian-flavored, see Note 1)
- salt kosher salt and freshly cracked
- black pepper kosher salt and freshly cracked
- ¼ cup (20g) nutritional yeast
- 12 ounces (340g) bucatini pasta or spaghetti or linguine, see Note 2
- 1 ounce (800g) whole peeled tomatoes see Note 3, best-quality, canned
- 4 cups (100g) spinach chopped (see Note 4, baby
- 2 large handfuls basil sliced (or flat-leaf parsley, chopped, 15g fresh
Instructions
- Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil for the pasta.
- Slice off the fennel stalks and reserve any fronds for an optional garnish (roughly chop them). With the fennel bulb, if the outer layer is very thick, remove it. Slice the bulb in half, lengthwise. Use a mandoline or sharp knife to thinly slice the fennel crosswise, as thinly as you can.
- Meanwhile, heat the 3 TBSP olive oil over medium-high heat in a deep sauté pan. Once hot, add the fennel with a pinch of salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some edges start to brown.
- While the fennel cooks, pour the canned tomatoes with their juices into a bowl. Crush them with your hands. Set aside. Also, crumble the sausage with your hands if you have time (if it doesn't crumble, slice it).
- Add the garlic to the fennel and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Now add the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds.
- Add the crumbled or sliced sausage into the pan. Break it up with a wooden spatula as it cooks, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and a bit crisp (the exact cook time will depend on the brand of sausage used).
- Add in the crushed tomatoes with juices, a generous amount of black pepper, and the nutritional yeast. Stir to coat and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. If desired, smash some of the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon from time to time.
- After you add the tomatoes and the pasta water is boiling, salt the water generously (about 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt or 2 ½ to 3 teaspoons sea salt). Add the pasta and cook for the minimum amount of time for al dente pasta according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup (240 mL or 2 soup ladles) of pasta water. Drain the pasta but do not rinse it.
- Add the baby spinach to the tomato sauce and cook briefly until it just starts to wilt. Add in the hot cooked pasta plus ¾ cup to 1 cup (180 to 240 mL) of the pasta water. Turn the heat to medium-high and toss the pasta vigorously with tongs until it’s well coated in the sauce and is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Off the heat, garnish with basil or parsley.
Notes
- Vegan Italian sausage options like Beyond Meat or Field Roast work well; spicy varieties complement the sauce.
- Bucatini pasta is preferred for texture, but spaghetti or linguine can be substituted.
- High-quality canned tomatoes from brands like Bianco DiNapoli, San Marzano, or Mutti enhance flavor.
- You may increase spinach quantity as it wilts significantly; baby kale is a good alternative but requires slightly longer cooking.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 505 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 505kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 69g | 23% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Sodium | 358mg | 15% |
| Potassium | 1777mg | 38% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 17891IU | 358% |
| Vitamin C | 60mg | 67% |
| Calcium | 250mg | 25% |
| Iron | 9mg | 50% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
