Rotini with Sweet Fennel Sausage & Sundried Tomatoes

Rotini with Sweet Fennel Italian Sausages, Sundried Tomatoes & Olives
Printable Recipe

Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
Your favorite pasta…I like something small and that will hold the sauce, this time I used multi-grain rotini. (1 cup per person)
4 links sweet fennel Italian sausages
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 sundried tomatoes – I prefer the ones that are soaked in oil & come in a jar, coarsely chopped
¼ cup salty black olives – I prefer Nicoise or Kalamata, pitted and chopped
½ - ¾ cup dry white wine (I only had Zinfandel which is sweeter than I’d normally use, but tasted delicious)
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
½ tsp red chili pepper flakes
Parmesan or Asiago cheese, coarsely grated

Directions
1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente (check the package for time – usually 7-8 minutes) and drain. Save 1 cup of pasta water – just in case the sauce gets too thick before you’re ready to serve.

2. While the water is coming to a boil, grill the sausages (I usually just use a grill pan on top of the stove, but you could stick them under the broiler element of your stove) about 8-10 minutes total. Slice them in 2” pieces and set aside.

3. When the pasta is about halfway done (you can bite into it, but the center is still hard), in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat and add the sausage coins, sundried tomatoes, olives, chili pepper flakes & garlic and sauté until all the flavors meld (about 4 minutes). Add the wine and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to very low, until the pasta is ready.

4. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and place in a serving bowl, add the sauce and chopped parsley and taste for seasoning. Serve with lots of grated cheese.