Strozzapreti with Sausage, Fennel and Lemon

⏱ 30 min · Serves 4

Craggy little twists of strozzapreti catch every scrap of a rich, fennel-scented sausage ragù. Toasted fennel seeds, a splash of white wine and a hit of lemon zest keep it bright rather than heavy — a 30-minute pasta that tastes like a trattoria in Emilia-Romagna.

Per serving: 872 kcal · 34.0g protein · 81.0g carbs · 44.0g fat

Ingredients

• 400g strozzapreti (or casarecce)
• 400g good Italian sausages (about 6), skins removed
• 1 large fennel bulb, cored and finely sliced, fronds reserved
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 150ml dry white wine
• 150ml double cream (or 100ml pasta water + 30g butter for a lighter sauce)
• Zest of 1 lemon, plus a squeeze of juice
• 60g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil.
2. Toast the fennel seeds in a dry large frying pan for 30 seconds until fragrant, then lightly crush them.
3. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the pan and fry the sausage meat over a high heat, breaking it into rough chunks, for 5–6 minutes until deeply browned. Lift out with a slotted spoon.
4. Add the remaining oil, the sliced fennel and onion with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges, then stir in the garlic, chilli flakes and toasted fennel seeds for 1 minute.
5. Pour in the wine, scrape the pan base and let it bubble down by half. Return the sausage.
6. Meanwhile cook the strozzapreti until just al dente, reserving a mugful of pasta water.
7. Stir the cream into the sauce and simmer 2 minutes. Add the drained pasta, Parmesan, lemon zest and a splash of pasta water, tossing hard until glossy and clinging.
8. Season, add a squeeze of lemon juice, and serve scattered with chopped fennel fronds and extra Parmesan.