Serves 6.
Note: From "MasterChef: The Masters At Home."
• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausages
• 1 large fennel bulb
• 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, cut into half-moon slices
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
• 1 c. crushed, or puréed and sieved, fresh San Marzano tomatoes (or good-quality plum tomatoes)
• 1 lb. penne
• 4 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
• 3 1/2 oz. pecorino or Grana Padano cheese, freshly grated
Directions
Remove sausage meat from its casing and break up the meat a bit with your fingers and set aside.
Trim fennel bulb, removing any tough outer parts. Slice bulb lengthwise in half and remove core, then cut each half lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices. Separate the slivers of fennel if they are attached at the bottom; cut the long slivers in half.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage meat and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for about 1 1/2 minutes, until it sizzles and begins to brown.
Push sausage to side of pan and drop onion slices into the cleared center. Sauté, stirring, for about 2 minutes until onions sizzle and wilt, then mix them into the sausage meat. Clear a new space and drop in fennel. Leave it to heat up and wilt for 1 minute or more, then stir into the sausage mixture. Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Clear a little spot in the pan and drop in the chile flakes. Toast the flakes for 30 seconds then stir to combine with the sausage mix. Plop in the tomatoes and stir them into the rest of the ingredients. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes or so while you cook the pasta.
Drop the penne into the boiling water, then bring back to the boil and cook until the penne are al dente. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water.
Pour the reserved pasta water into the frying pan and stir well, then bring back to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 6 minutes until the flavors have developed, the sauce is thickened but not too thick, and the fennel is soft but not mushy. (Add more water if the sauce reduces too rapidly). Season to taste.
Drop the cooked penne into the simmering sauce and toss everything together until the pasta is coated with the sauce. Sprinkle with the parsley.
Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle the grated cheese over the pasta and toss it to mix. Serve straight from the pan into warm pasta bowls.
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