Making sausage at home has never been simpler.

When I feel I should be cooking and posting something Christmassy, here I go again with another pasta dish. This Holiday season, when you get tired of eating Christmas leftovers, then you will have this recipe to try. It is simple, tasty and elegant and you will certainly want more.

I found that the sweetness of the fennel was well complemented by the sharpness and saltiness of Pecorino Romano cheese, but parmesan would also probably work well here. I hope you will enjoy!

For the hot Italian sausage, you will need:

450 g/1 pound lean ground pork
1 small clove garlic, grated
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon red hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon lightly crushed fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground sage
3 tablespoons dry white wine

Combine all the ingredients and place in a non-reactive bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours or overnight.

For the pasta dish, you will need:

450 g homemade sausage (recipe above)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, whole
1 shallot, finely sliced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced (a mandolin is preferred) and the fennel fronds
450 g linguine
Pecorino Romano cheese

Method:

1. Heat the oil over medium heat and cook the garlic clove until golden, then discard.
2. Add the sausage meat and cook, stirring and breaking the meat up until it has lost its raw appearance.
3. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until the shallot is soft.
4. Add the fennel and cook for a couple of minutes, until it starts to soften.
5. Stir the tomato paste in the wine and add it to the pan. Cover and simmer on low heat until the wine has completely evaporated, stirring a few times. Add the fennel fronds at the last minute.
6. Cook the linguine in salted boiling water for one minute less than the al dente stage. Drain, reserving about one cup of cooking water.
7. On medium heat, add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir constantly with tongs, adding some of the cooking water. Add a little water at a time to get a thick, luscious sauce. Turn the heat off, add the cheese and serve at once.

You may also like:

Spaghetti with sausage, zucchini and fried egg (Mon Food Blog)