Gemelli With Italian Sausage And Fennel Recipes

GEMELLI PASTA WITH FENNEL JUICE, BROCCOLI AND OVEN-DRIED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees F. Slice tops of Romas off and then cut in half lengthwise. Mix in a bowl with sugar and salt. Place on a sheet pan cut-side up and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Turn oven off and leave tomatoes inside overnight. The next day turn the oven on to 200 degrees F. and slow roast the tomatoes for 5 to 7 more hours, depending on size. The tomatoes should be shriveled, but not at all crispy. Remove from oven, let cool, and then cut into julienne strips. Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees F. Place whole garlic cloves and 1/4 cup olive oil in an aluminum foil packet and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Cloves should be very soft. Place cloves in blender or food processor and puree to a smooth paste, scraping down sides occasionally. Julienne one large head of fennel, toss with 1 tablespoon oil, a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper, and roast in oven for 2 hours.
• Dice remaining fennel, put in a saucepan, just cover with water, and simmer until very soft. Puree in a blender. Allow to cool slightly and squeeze liquids out through a cheesecloth, reserving liquid. Discard solids. Cook pasta in 2 quarts rapidly boiling salted water, drain and set aside. Heat remaining oil in a skillet, add slivered garlic and stir until golden brown. Add broccoli rabe, saute to warm it, add crushed red pepper and oregano (if using dry). Add fennel juice and reduce by half. Add roasted fennel, oven-dried tomatoes, garlic puree, and oregano (if using fresh). Stir in pasta. Serve in shallow bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese.

GEMELLI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND FENNEL

Steps:

• In a heavy skillet, cook sausage over moderate heat, breaking into irregularly sized pieces around 3/4 inch untll browned and transfer to towel and drain. Add oil to skillet and cook fennel and garlic over medium low heat, until soft - about 5 minutes. Add wine, stock and bring to boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cream and cook until thickened and reduced by 1/3. Cook gemelli until al dente - drain reserving 1 cup pasta liquid. To pasta, add sausage, fennel mixture and arugula. Stir until arugula wilts - add hot pasta liquid if necessary. Stir in grated Parmesan and egg yolks and Stir until mixed in. Add salt and pepper to taste

RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE & FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the fennel and onion and saute for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the sausage and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, crumbling it with a fork, until nicely browned. Add the garlic, crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper and cook for one minute. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, and add the heavy cream, half-and-half, and tomato paste. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt, and cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package. Drain and add to the sauce, stirring to coat the pasta. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Serve hot in shallow bowls with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan on the side.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH FENNEL, PEPPERS, AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Toss together all ingredients except fennel fronds with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large shallow baking pan. Broil 4 inches from heat until sausage is browned and vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Turn over and stir, then broil until sausage is just cooked through and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with fennel fronds.

ITALIAN FENNEL SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine salt, fennel seed and red-pepper flakes. Add pork to the spice mixture along with the garlic, and wine. Using your hands, mix thoroughly for 1 full minute, until the pork begins to appear tacky and sticks to the palm of your hand.
• Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Use a heaping tablespoon of pork mixture to make a small, thin sausage patty. Add a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and cook the patty for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Taste, and if needed, add salt or any other seasonings to the uncooked sausage mixture and mix to combine.
• Divide and form the remaining sausage into 8 2 1/2-inch patties, placing them on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. (Patties can be made ahead and covered and refrigerated or frozen at this point until ready to use.)
• To cook, wipe out cast-iron pan, and return to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When it shimmers, add patties in a single layer, leaving space between them. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned on the surface and just cooked through.
• Drain sausages on paper towels, and serve hot.

GEMELLI WITH SHRIMP AND TOMATO CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Add the onion, chopped fennel and bell pepper and sauté until all are tender. Stir in the fennel seeds and the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the shrimp and cook a minute or two longer, but just until the shrimp are cooked. Stir in the cream, season the sauce to your taste with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gemelli and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
• Put the gemelli in a warm serving dish. Briefly reheat the shrimp and the tomato sauce, pour over the pasta and toss well. Sprinkle the parsley over the completed dish and serve.