Ziti with Sausage, Onions, and Fennel

Name: Ziti with Sausage, Onions, and Fennel
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (without fennel seeds); 1 large fennel bulb with stem and fronds (about 1 pound); 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 medium onions, cut in half-moon slices (2 cups); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon dried peperoncino (hot red pepper flakes); 1/2 up tomato paste; Boiling water from the pasta-cooking pot; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, for the pastacooking water; 1 pound ziti; 1/3 cup finely chopped fennel fronds; 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano); 8-quart pasta-cooking pot; A 12-inch or larger skillet for the sauce and the pasta

December 14, 2011

Here the meaty skillet sauce and the ziti cook at a leisurely pace compared to the rapidity of the preceding capellini with caper sauce. But the cooking principles are the same. In the first few minutes you want to caramelize each ingredient as it is introduced to the pan—this is especially important with the tomato paste, to give it a good toasting before it is liquefied in the pasta water. The sauce needs 6 minutes or more at a good bubbling simmer after adding the water in order to draw out and meld the flavors of the meat and vegetables as well as to soften the pieces of fresh fennel. At that time the ziti will be ready to finish cooking in the sauce.

Recipe notes

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