Saucy sausage and lemon pasta

INGREDIENTS

250g Dry Paccheri pasta (or your favourite pasta shape)

400g sausages or sausage meat

2 shallots or 1 small brown onion

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 large lemon

1–2 tsp chilli flakes

2 cloves garlic

300 ml pasta water

70 g Parmesan

60 ml Crème fraîche or double cream

15 g parsley

METHOD

Place a large stainless or carbon steel sauté pan over a high heat. The pan is ready to cook when water flicked onto the surface skitters and dances in droplets across the surface.

Lower the heat a touch and add a drizzle of cooking oil to the frying pan.

Remove the sausages from their skins, and tip them into the heated frying pan. Use a wooden spatula to break up the sausage into crumbles, and get a nice golden brown sear on the sausage meat, stirring occasionally to allow the meat to sear well. This will take about 10-12 minutes and build flavour into our sauce.

While the sausage cooks, gather the remaining ingredients, wash and chop the parsley, dice the shallot/onion finely, and peel and slice the garlic. Bring a pot of water to a boil in preparation for the pasta. Use less water than directed to create a very starchy water, which we will use to thicken and bind the sauce.

Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the shallot and fennel seeds to the pan with the sausage, and cook until the shallot softens about 4-5 minutes.

Tip the pasta into the boiling water and cook according to the packet instructions.

Zest the lemon into the pan, add the chilli flakes, and add the sliced garlic. Stir until the garlic softens (1 min or so), then squeeze the lemon juice into the pan.

Once very al dente, drain the pasta (it will finish cooking in the sauce), reserving about 500ml of starchy pasta water.

Tip the drained pasta into the sausage pan. Add 200ml of pasta water, the crème fraîche, and the parmesan. Keep the pan on a low heat to melt the cheese, tossing the pasta to bring the sauce together. Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce comes together, coating the pasta in a creamy, glossy layer.

Season to taste, adding more lemon juice if needed, then sprinkle in the freshly chopped parsley and serve.

Recipe credit: The Culinary Cartel