Spicy Sausage Pasta

 

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g Cumberland Thick sausage (casings removed) or 500g of Cumberland Sausagemeat

500g Pasta (we used Northern Pasta Fusilli)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 stick of celery diced

2 carrot diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp tomato paste

400g (14oz) canned chopped tomatoes

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and black pepper, to taste

½ cup reserved pasta water

Fresh basil, chopped

 

Cooking instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente and reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the Cumberland thick sausage (casings removed).
3. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned and crispy, about 5-7 minutes then remove from the pan and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add the onion, celery, carrot and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further minute until fragrant.
5. Add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, oregano and tomato paste. Mix well and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
7. Return the sausage to the pan along with the drained pasta and mix well. Add the reserved pasta water while combining to loosen the sauce
8. Finally, stir in the Parmesan cheese and a handful of chopped fresh basil.
9. Serve hot with extra Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy!