I'm having a moment with carbs. Well, if you consider an entire month a time frame, then that's really the gist of it. Today this Ricotta and Sausage Pasta is front stage and it's a winner!
Anytime you combine pasta, sausage, a white wine and butter sauce and some sort of cheese, it's basically a guaranteed success am I right? There really isn't anything bad that could come of that combination - rather it's just a bowl of everything you ever wanted in life.
By now, it's a well known fact that for the first 17 years of my life I lived on pasta and grilled cheese. Not much has changed, as I'm pretty sure I'd be just fine if that were the case now. But I like to mix things up every once in a while and jazz up my staples. And if you're living in a pasta-centric house like me, I can promise you that you'll love this easy pasta dinner! (Psst... Another easy pasta recipe coming atcha, my delicious Spaghetti Carbonara and Sausage and Leek Orecchiette... You have to try it!) Adam made it for me YEARS ago when we were working on a job in Minnesota! I have literally zero recollection of where the base recipe came from but it's incredible.
Need a few more sausage-y recipes to complete your fall cooking plans - I've got ya covered:
- Sausage Ragu Polenta Bowls
- Tortellini with Sausage and Mascarpone
- Detroit Style Fennel Sausage Pizza
- Broccolini Sausage Pizza
- Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage
- Sausage and Leek Pasta
- Three Cheese Pesto Pasta Bake
- Sausage Kale and Bean Pasta
- Rigatoni with Broccolini and Sausage
Ricotta and Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb pappardelle pasta
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Italian fennel sausage, casings removed
- 1 fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 leeks, halved, trimmed, white parts only, and sliced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup fresh ricotta
- ¼ cup torn fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
To make the sauce:
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Break the sausage into small pieces and add to the pan along with the fennel and leeks. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to continue to break up the sausage into bite sized pieces. Add the wine, shallots, garlic and thyme. Cook until the wine is reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and butter and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.
Meanwhile
- While the sauce is reducing, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta water and the pasta to the sauté pan with the sauce. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer to a large serving bowl, top with dollops of the ricotta and the parsley and toss to combine. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and serve.
This dish is so amazing! The Fennel and Ricotta with the fresh thyme is perfection
Really easy and family loved it. Thank you!
So yummy and the recipe is easy to follow
This meal is simple and absolutely delicious…a family favorite!
Wow! What an amazing dish! So delicious and easy to prepare. I would definitely recommend using a large pasta bowl. The presentation is beautiful. It will impress whomever you are feeding!
Gaby,
Recipe looks delicious yet my husband is not a fennel fan. Would you recommend I use hot or sweet sausages as substitute?
either one!
I always love a good, flavorful pasta meal.
If I could give this 1000 stars I would.
I love all of your pasta dishes!!