Ina Garten’s Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel- Tweaked
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I haven’t made something by Ina Garten in a while, and last night I thought I’d immerse myself in her recipe. I made this outstanding dish for my parents. They absolutely loved it. It was fatty, and salty, and creamy. The perfect dish for when winds are blowing 75 mph during a nor’easter on Nantucket Island with whale lanterns flickering. Perfection. I removed the fennel from her recipe, because I didn’t have any. I actually preferred it without the fennel, but you be the judge. Original recipe here.
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Ina Garten’s Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel-Tweaked
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Description
This crave-able dish is perfect for any fall night. The fat from the sausage and the cream coats the rigatoni to perfection. The added parmesan and parsley make it 5-star worthy.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 large Vidalia Onion, chopped
- 1 1/4 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
- 3–4 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds, crushed with mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to your preference)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound rigatoni (or 1 box)
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided in half
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute until tender.
- Add sausage, and cook until browned, crumbling with a fork.
- Add garlic, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute or until fragrant.
- Add wine and bring to a boil.
- Add heavy cream, half and half and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until sauce is thickened. Approximately 30 min.
- Bring large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni to package instructions. Drain and add to sauce, stirring to coat pasta. Cook for about 5 min for pasta to absorb the sauce.
- Mix in parsley and 1/2 of the Parmesan.
- Serve in shallow bowls, with remaining Parmesan on the side for sprinkling.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Italian American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Serves 4