Penne Wfennel Sausage Recipes

SAUSAGE AND PEPPER PENNE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir sausage, onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, and mushrooms until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Stir diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, minced garlic, garlic powder, oregano, basil, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes into vegetable mixture; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Drain pasta and spoon onto plates and top with sauce mixture.

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.

BAKED PENNE WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring, until the fat renders, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour off the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Add the onion and fennel and cook until the fennel is soft, about 5 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan with your hands, then pour in the juices from the can and bring to a simmer. Fill the empty can with 1/2 cup of the boiling water and add to the sauce. Stir in the cream and simmer while you cook the pasta.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain and add to the sauce. Stir in the basil and 1/2 cup parmesan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with salt and toss.
• Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Layer the pasta, mozzarella, fontina and the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan in the dish, alternating pasta and cheese. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bake, uncovered, until browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

BAKED PENNE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Place sausage and onion in the skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Pour in wine, and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to deglaze the pan. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss with cooked pasta, and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

BAKED SAUSAGE AND PENNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In Dutch oven or 3-quart saucepan, cook pasta as directed on package, using minimum cook time; drain and return to Dutch oven.
• Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Add sausage, marinara sauce and basil to cooked pasta in Dutch oven; stir well. Spoon into baking dish.
• In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg. Spoon over pasta mixture. Sprinkle with cheese blend.
• Cover; bake 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil.

PENNE & SAUSAGE CASSEROLES

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside., In the same Dutch oven, saute mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and oregano; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in 1 cup wine. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, sausage and remaining wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes., Drain pasta. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in each of two greased 13x9-in. baking dishes. Divide half of the pasta between the dishes; layer each with 2-1/2 cups sauce and 1 cup each of the cheeses. Repeat layers., Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

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.

PENNE & ITALIAN SAUSAGE BAKE

Steps:

• Prick sausages in several places.
• Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan set over medium high heat.
• Add sausages& cook until evenly browned- about 8 minutes.
• Remove from pan& cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Add onions to fat remaining in pan& saute for about 5 minutes.
• Return sausages to pan.
• Add fennel, garlic, cumin, peppers& celery; cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Drain excess fat from pan.
• Stir tomato sauce, basil& wine into sausage mixture.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat& simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook penne, according to package directions until el dente (about 10 minutes).
• Drain- reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
• Combine sausage mixture, pasta & reserved cooking liquid in a 5 litre casserole dish.
• Mix well.
• Combine Mozarella& Parmesan cheese and parsley.
• Stir into the pasta mixture.
• Bake in preheated 375F oven for 30 minutes.

SAUSAGE BAKED PENNE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, using minimum cook time.
• Meanwhile, heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain.
• In large bowl, stir together sausage, ricotta cheese, garlic, dried basil, pepper flakes, salt, pepper and 2 cups of the pasta sauce. Add cooked pasta; toss gently. Spoon mixture into baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups pasta sauce. Arrange mozzarella cheese slices over sauce.
• Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh basil.

ZESTY PENNE, SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS

Steps:

• Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
• Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet; cook and stir on medium heat 8 min. or until done. Drain. Add peppers; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; cook 5 min. or until heated through. Add cream cheese; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring frequently.
• Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture; mix lightly. Top with Parmesan.

PENNE AND SMOKED SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta according to package directions., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat 5 minutes; drain. In a large bowl, combine milk and soup. Stir in 1/2 cup onions, 1/2 cup cheese, peas and sausage. Drain pasta; stir into sausage mixture., Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover and bake until bubbly, 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining onions and cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer. Freeze option: Sprinkle remaining onions and cheese over unbaked casserole. Cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

PENNE W/FENNEL & SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Penne with fennel and sausage.
• Brown 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, in a large skillet, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet; stir in 1 large bulb fennel, cut into 1/4-inch thick sticks. Season with salt. Cook until softened, 8 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup dry white wine; cook to reduce by half. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and reserved sausage. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Toss with 1 pound cooked penne and 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives. Makes: 6 servings.