2leeks, halved, trimmed, white parts only, and sliced
½cupwhite wine
1shallot, finely chopped
4clovesgarlic, minced
2teaspoonsfresh thyme
1cupchicken stock
4tablespoonsunsalted butter
1cupfresh ricotta
¼cuptorn fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼cupgrated 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.
Notes
If you aren't doing it yet, I highly recommend the habit of always reserving some pasta cooking water before draining. It is the perfect way to finish off any sauce you want to serve.