Rigatoni with sausage and fennel

Ina Garten is my pasta hero. I made this dish for Pedro and I for Sunday dinner and we both loved it. If you're going to splurge on pasta, this one is absolutely worth it. I used a mix of hot and sweet sausage as I recall. I used one c. of half and half and did not include the heavy cream.

• 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
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, divided

RECIPE

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.

"Cooking for Jeffrey" by Ina Garten © Clarkson Potter 2016. Provided courtesy of Ina Garten. All rights reserved.