Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta with White Sauce & Fennel Seeds

Name: Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe w/ White Sauce & Fennel Seeds
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 16 oz fettuccine; 4 sausages; 2 tbsp fennel seeds; 1 + ½ cup heavy cream; Extra virgin olive oil; 2 cloves garlic; 1 onion; Cooking white wine; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 oz coarse salt; Fine salt to taste; Red chili pepper flakes (optional); Just a bunch of parsley (optional, use sparingly)

May 6, 2024
Michele Giuli

Forget the diet today – comfort food is on the menu! This creamy Italian sausage pasta recipe pairs a hearty white sauce with bold fennel flavors, creating a dish that’s as perfect for a weeknight treat as it is for a special dinner guest.

Table Of Contents show

Sometimes, only creamy pasta will do. There’s nothing you can do about it. Sometimes, you just need a dinner that wraps you up like a cozy blanket while you unwind.

That’s where this recipe comes in.

I know, it sounds excessive. But I dare you to try it and prove me wrong 😀

What’s so special about this recipe is the combination of hearty sausages with the intense, anise-like flavor of fennel seeds. I swear, it brings the dish onto a new dimension. The seeds accentuate the flavor of the sausage and introduce a subtle complexity that brings out every nuance of the dish.

The seeds enhance the flavor of the sausage and introduce a subtle complexity that brings out every nuance of the dish. Together with a little diced garlic and onion, heavy cream, and some parmesan cheese, they will make a great dressing for your next fettuccine dish.

Why This Recipe Works

There are many things I love about this recipe. Here are some of them:

It’s ready in about 30 minutes;
It’s perfect for beginners, as there’s no need for advanced culinary skills;
It has a rich, hearty flavor with aromatic notes and a creamy texture.
The perfect balance of flavors that will leave you craving more after the first bite.
It’s a versatile dish: it can be enjoyed during busy nights or served to guests. Plus, it appeals to both kids and adults alike, so it’s good for the whole family.
Leftovers can be easily reheated for a quick and delicious meal the next day.

Now, enough with the hyping. Here’s what you need to do!

What You’ll Need

Here are the main ingredients for this creamy sausage pasta recipe.

Fettuccine: After experimenting with various pasta shapes, I found that dried pasta works best, compared to fresh egg pasta. You can use short shapes like penne or fusilli, but I think that this recipe works best with long shapes like spaghetti, bucatini, or, best of all, fettuccine. These long, flat noodles are perfect for soaking up the rich, creamy sauce in this recipe.

Italian Sausage: The star of the show, Italian sausage adds a hearty and flavorful punch to this dish. Choose your favorite variety (whether mild or spicy sausage) to suit your taste preferences.

Fennel Seeds: These aromatic seeds lend a distinctive flavor to the dish. Their subtle sweetness and hint of licorice elevate the overall taste profile, adding depth and complexity to the sauce.

Garlic and Onion: Freshly chopped garlic and onion provide the essential base of flavor for the sauce. Avoid dried or pre-chopped varieties. Using fresh ingredients will ensure that their vibrant flavors shine through in every bite.

Heavy Cream: The key to achieving the luscious, creamy texture of the sauce, heavy cream adds richness and indulgence to the dish. Its velvety consistency coats each strand of pasta, creating a decadent eating experience.

White Cooking Wine: A splash of white wine used to deglaze the sausage will add brightness and acidity to the sauce, balancing its richness. Choose a dry white wine suitable for cooking, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, to enhance the overall flavor profile. Alternatively, if you have an anise liqueur like Varnelli, you can try deglazing with that.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the garlic and onion, extra virgin olive oil contributes a fruity and peppery note to the dish. Opt for a high-quality olive oil for the best flavor results.

Parmesan Cheese: Finely grated Parmesan cheese adds a salty, nutty richness to the sauce. For an extra flavor boost, consider using a combination of Parmesan and pecorino romano cheeses.

Freshly Ground Black Pepper: A pinch of freshly ground black pepper enhances the overall flavor profile of the dish, adding a touch of warmth and depth.

Salt: Both coarse and fine salt are used in this recipe. Coarse salt is added to the pasta water to season the noodles, while fine salt is used to season the sauce to taste.

Red Pepper Flakes (Optional): For those who enjoy a bit of heat, red pepper flakes can be sprinkled into the sauce to add a subtle kick. The creaminess of the sauce helps mellow out the spice, making it suitable for all palates.

Freshly Chopped Parsley (Optional): I don’t always use it, but a little bit of fresh parsley can be a delicious addition to this dish. Just don’t use too much – you don’t want it to overshadow the fennel seeds!

With these ingredients combined, you’ll create a delectable dish that’s sure to impress. Now, let’s dive into the instructions and bring this creamy Italian sausage pasta to life!

Method

Here are the step-by-step instructions for preparing your creamy Italian sausage pasta:

Prepare the ingredients: Finely chop the garlic and onion. If the garlic cloves have a green germ in the middle, remove it as it might make your dish harder to digest. Also, remove the casings from the sausage and chop it into chunks with your hands. Add the chunks directly to an oiled saucepan or large skillet.

Heat the pasta water: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In the meantime, do the next steps.
Prepare the Sausage: Heat the sausage on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. While you do that, break it up with a wooden spoon until it’s divided into tiny little pieces. Cook until it starts to brown, then add the wine to deglaze and allow it to simmer for a minute or two.

Add the aromatics: Once the wine started to cook off, add the chopped garlic and onion to the skillet. Sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add cream and fennel seeds: Reduce the heat to low and pour in the heavy cream. Sprinkle in the fennel seeds, stirring to incorporate. Simmer gently to allow the flavors to meld together.

Season the sauce: Taste the sauce and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If desired, add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Cook the pasta: At this point, the pasta water should be up to a rolling boil. Add the coarse salt and allow it to dissolve for about a minute. Then, add the fettuccine and cook according to package instructions until al dente. When it’s time, drain the pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water.

Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked fettuccine to the skillet with the sauce, tossing to coat the pasta evenly. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen it up. The starch in the water will bond with the cream, making it even creamier.
Finish and Serve: Once the pasta is coated in the creamy sauce, remove the skillet from the heat. Grate fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and gently toss to combine. Serve the creamy Italian sausage pasta hot, garnished with additional Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Tips & Tricks: Make The Best Italian Sausage Pasta!

This recipe is already super good as it is. However, there are two ways you can take it to the next level:

Boil the pasta in chicken broth instead of water. This is not very conventional nowadays and is mostly done in high-end restaurants, but in the past, richer pasta dishes were cooked in broth. One example is Rossini-style macaroni, which had to be prepared in a chicken broth made with onions, carrots, and cloves.
Add a little ground black truffle and turn your dish into an improved pasta alla norcina. Pasta alla norcina is a typical dish from central Italy. It has two main variations, and adding truffle to this recipe will make it almost the same as my favorite version.

What to Serve This With

This Italian sausage pasta is pretty much a one-dish meal, but you can accompany it with a salad or some garlic bread.

For the wine, my recommendation is a full-bodied red or, alternatively, a sparkling wine.

Conclusion

I really hope you like my creamy Italian sausage pasta. It’s really perfect for every occasion.
As per usual, now I’ll leave you to our easy-to-follow recipe card below. It will guide you through each step of the process, and you can also use it as a handy shopping list, accessible right from your smartphone. Adjust ingredient quantities as needed to accommodate your guests, ensuring everyone gets to enjoy this delicious meal.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get cooking, and make it nice!