Sausage & Fennel Pasta with Red Sauce

👥 4 servings
🍽️ main
⏱️ Prep: 30 minutes
🥗 Vegan
🗣️ English (detected)
#main #sausage #fennel #pasta #vegan #meal-prep

From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook

🥘 Ingredients

  • extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp
  • fennel 1 bulb
  • Kosher
  • vegan sausage 2-4
  • best-quality whole peeled tomatoes 1
  • nutritional yeast ¼ cup
  • garlic cloves 4
  • red pepper flakes ½ tsp
  • bucatini or spaghetti or linguine 12 oz
  • fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley 1 cup
  • baby spinach 5 oz
📝

For heartier appetites or to stretch this meal out more, use 3 or 4 links of vegan sausage. If you bought super-firm tofu instead of vegan sausage or “meat,” follow these instructions: Pat the tofu dry, then use your hands to crumble it into small pieces, about the size of a blueberry. In a bowl, toss the tofu with 1 tsp kosher salt, black pepper to taste, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, if desired. Heat 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Spread out the tofu in a single packed layer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes undisturbed. Flip and cook for a total of 10 to 12 minutes, stirring only every 2 minutes, until most of the tofu is browned. Stir into the pasta in step 7. For more details, check out my blog post for this recipe. Storage: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The pasta may soak up the sauce and become a bit soggy, but reheating on the stove helps revive the texture. To reheat, add the pasta to a nonstick frying pan over medium heat and warm until heated through. If you have any basil or parsley, chop it up and garnish on top. Nutrition boost: You can sub the baby spinach with baby kale (you may need to cook it a minute or so longer). Feel free to add a thinly sliced red bell pepper when you add the fennel in step 2. Use whole wheat linguine or spaghetti for a bit more fiber. Shortcut: If you bought jarred marinara sauce instead of canned whole peeled tomatoes, pour the marinara sauce into the pan as listed in step 4 along with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast; heat until warmed through, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.

  1. 1
    Gather: extra virgin olive oil , fennel , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, vegan sausage , best-quality whole peeled tomatoes , nutritional yeast , garlic cloves , red pepper flakes , bucatini or spaghetti or linguine , fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley , baby spinach .
  2. 2
    Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil for the pasta for step 5.
  3. 3
    Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick sauté pan with tall sides (or a Dutch oven). Once hot, add the fennel with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes , stirring occasionally, until some edges start to brown. While the fennel cooks, prep the sausage and tomatoes. Crumble the sausage (or slice it if it doesn’t crumble). In a separate bowl, pour the canned tomatoes with their juices and crush them with your hands. Stir in a generous amount of black pepper and the nutritional yeast; set aside for step 4.
  4. 4
    Add the garlic to the fennel. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the red pepper flakes (if using) and stir frequently for 30 seconds. Add the crumbled or sliced sausage and break it up with a wooden spatula. Cook for 4-6 minutes , stirring occasionally, until browned and a bit crisp.
  5. 5
    Add in the crushed tomato mix and use the juices to deglaze any browned bits in the pan. Stir well, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 12-15 minutes , stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. If desired, smash some tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon from time to time.
  6. 6
    Once the water is boiling, salt it generously (1 1/2 tbsp kosher salt or 2 1/2-3 tsp sea salt). Cook the pasta for the minimum amount of time for al dente according to the box. Set a colander in the sink with a measuring cup in it. Before draining, use the measuring cup to reserve timer cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta, but do not rinse it.
  7. 7
    While the sauce and pasta cook, prepare your side salad (if you’re making one) and prepare the other ingredients. Slice the basil (or chop the parsley). Chop the fennel fronds, if using. Chop the baby spinach.
  8. 8
    Add the chopped spinach to the tomato sauce. Stir frequently and cook until it just starts to wilt. Add in the hot pasta plus 3/4 cup pasta water. Turn the heat to medium-high and toss vigorously with tongs until the pasta is al dente and well coated in the sauce, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed to bring the sauce together.
  9. 9
    Off the heat, season to taste with salt and pepper and garnish with basil and fennel fronds, if using. Serve with your side salad, if you made one.

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