A comforting weeknight dinner, this recipe features crumbled fennel sausage in a creamy tomato and mascarpone sauce.

Ingredients

• Rigatoni – 400 g
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Pork sausages – 6 sausages (approx. 450g)
• Crushed chillies – 1/2 tsp
• Fennel seeds – 1 tsp
• Dry white wine – 60 ml
• Double concentrated tomato puree – 80 g
• Mascarpone cheese – 3 tbsp
• Fresh spinach – 50 g
• Parmesan cheese – 75 g
• Fresh basil – 1 handful
• Salt
• Black pepper

Cooking Method

Step 1

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil for the pasta.

Step 2

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Score the sausage casings and squeeze the meat directly into the pan. Discard the casings.

Temperature: medium-high

Step 3

Brown the sausage meat, using a spatula to break it into smaller pieces as it cooks. Continue cooking for about 7 minutes until browned all over.

Duration: 7 minutes

Step 4

Add the crushed chillies and ground fennel seeds to the sausage. Stir well and cook for one minute until fragrant.

Duration: 1 minute

Step 5

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Allow the wine to simmer and reduce almost completely.

Duration: 1-2 minutes

Step 6

Stir in the tomato puree and cook for another minute.

Duration: 1 minute

Step 7

Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until it melts and combines with the other ingredients to form a creamy sauce. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Duration: 2 minutes

Step 8

Reduce the heat to low to let the sauce simmer gently.

Temperature: low

Step 9

Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook according to package directions until al dente.

Step 10

Just before the pasta is done, add the fresh spinach and 50g of the grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce. Stir until the spinach has wilted and the cheese is fully melted.

Duration: 2 minutes

Step 11

Before draining the pasta, reserve a full mug of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta well.

Step 12

Return the drained pasta to its pot (off the heat). Pour the sausage sauce over the pasta.

Step 13

Add the remaining 25g of Parmesan cheese and the freshly chopped basil to the pot.

Step 14

Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and mix vigorously to emulsify the sauce. Continue adding small amounts of pasta water until the sauce is creamy and coats the pasta perfectly.

Step 15

Serve immediately into warmed bowls, garnishing with a final grating of Parmesan cheese and a crack of black pepper.