BROCCOLI FENNEL PASTA

Ingredients

  • 9.3 oz (263g) Broccoli

  • ½ cup (19g) Fresh Parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)

  • 1 Fennel Bulb, sliced thin

  • 1 Shallot, finely chopped

  • 3 Sweet Italian Sausages (casings removed)

  • 3 Spicy Italian Sausages (casings removed)

  • 5 cloves (15g) Garlic, minced

  • 1 tsp (2g) Fennel Seeds

  • 1 tsp (2g) Red Pepper Flakes

  • 1 tsp (6g) Salt

  • 1 tsp (2g) Black Pepper

  • ½ cup (120ml) Reserved Broccoli Water

  • 1 lb (454g) Pasta, of choice

  • 1½ cups (150g) Parmesan Cheese, divided (½ cup for broccoli blend, ½ cup for mixing, ½ cup for topping)

  • ¼ cup (15g) Breadcrumbs, for topping

  • 3 tbsp (45ml) Olive Oil (1.5 tbsp for sausage, 1.5 tbsp for fennel/shallot)

  • ¾ cup (200ml) White Wine, for deglazing

Method

  1. Boil the Broccoli – Boil the broccoli in water for 15 minutes. Reserve ½ cup (120ml) of the water. Blend the broccoli with ½ cup of parmesan cheese and the reserved water until smooth. Set aside.

  2. Cook the Sausage – In a pan with 1.5 tbsp of olive oil, cook the sweet and spicy sausage, breaking it down as it browns. Remove and set aside.

  3. Sauté Fennel & Shallot – In the same pan, add 1.5 tbsp of olive oil, and sauté the fennel and shallot until soft and translucent.

  4. Add Garlic & Spices – Add garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir until aromatic, then deglaze with ¾ cup white wine and let it reduce slightly.

  5. Combine Sauce – Add the blended broccoli mixture to the pan, followed by the cooked sausage and reserved broccoli water. Stir to combine.

  6. Add Pasta & Finish – Add cooked pasta, chopped parsley, and remaining ½ cup parmesan cheese. Toss until well coated.

  7. Garnish & Serve – Top with more parsley, breadcrumbs, and parmesan cheese.

Additional Notes

I used Premio™ Hot and Sweet Italian Sausage for a sweet and spicy vibe, but you can use whatever sausage you prefer.

If you can’t or don’t want to deglaze with wine, look into alternatives. I’ve only ever used wine, but I know not everyone does. From what I understand, deglazing is more about adding liquid—not necessarily wine. Wine lends sweetness and acidity, but if you're not using it, you could try chicken stock, or maybe a mix like grape juice with red wine vinegar and water. I haven’t tried those, so I can’t speak to taste—just pointing you in a direction.

I used a 1 lb box of pasta, but honestly, I think I used a little too much. Add cooked pasta a bit at a time until everything is coated. You can always add more, but you can’t take it back once it’s in there. I’ll test again in the future to find the perfect amount.

As for the pasta water, I added ¼ cup at a time, checking consistency. I think I ended up using about ½ cup total. Go slow with it and add as needed to loosen your sauce. Eventually, you’ll come up with the correct amount depending on what you’re making.

I added ¼ cup breadcrumbs just to give a reference. You only need it for topping, so use as much or as little as you want.

Pasta is an art. Even though I love how this dish came out, I’m still learning—balancing sauce to pasta, adding water, deglazing properly. This is just the beginning of the journey. Stick with me and we’ll master it together.