To make ahead, spoon the pasta into gratin dishes, sprinkle with Parmesan and refrigerate for up to a day. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees F.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- 3 cups chopped fennel (1 large bulb)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 1/4 pounds sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
- 1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound rigatoni, such as De Cecco
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- 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 sauté 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 1 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.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 823 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 19 g |
| Carbohydrates | 72 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 38 g |
| Cholesterol | 99 mg |
| Sodium | 951 mg |
Reviews
It’s Ina, it’s great.
I very rarely follow recipes exactly because I’m lazy and have ADD… But I did this time, because I didn’t want to disrespect La Contessa… And OMG. This might be the best pasta I’ve ever had.
Used hot Italian sausage that we had on hand, omitting the red pepper flakes. Never having used fresh fennel was concerned that it would have a licorice taste, which hubby hates, plus he is not a vegetable eater. He loved it and kept saying this recipe is restaurant quality, reminding him of a marfredo (marina and alfredo combined) sauce we had ordered at a local restaurant, except this cost less.
Excellent recipe. Cut the recipe in half, as best I could … and we still had 4 HUGE portions. Save some pasta water to add to your leftovers. This dish tightens up as it cools off. First time I’ve ever cooked with fresh fennel and it was lovely. Will definitely be making this dish again. Would be great for company as it presents a little fancier than regular red sauce pasta.
So good family loved it
This is the most amazing pasta dish!! My husband and I absolutely love it. Highly recommend!!
Just not my taste!
Another wonderfully flavorful pasta dish from Ina Garten. Definitely a comfort food meal enjoyed by the entire family!
This is an absolutely delicious, hearty, stick-to-your-ribs winter go-to. As a reviewer who doesn’t even care for pork I cannot give this gem less than 5 stars! I’m grateful my husband requested this. His name isn’t Jeffrey, though.
Delicious. I add more sausage and less pasta. Made twice in a week!