Spicy Sausage and Fennel Pasta

This Vegan Sausage and Fennel Pasta Recipe tosses crispy sausage, sliced fennel, and al dente pasta in a spicy Calabrian chili-infused sauce. It’s a 30-minute comfort food with bold Italian flavors! Vegan, Gluten-Free Option.

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Stovetop

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 337kcal

Author Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more to taste
8 ounces pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 links vegan Italian sausage, sliced*
1/2 yellow onion fine dice
1 large bulb fennel thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
3-5 cloves garlic minced
1-2 tablespoons calabrian chili paste*
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated; I used dairy-free
Black pepper to taste
1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped; for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce, then drain the pasta and set aside.
Cook the Sausage: In the meantime warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and use a spatula to break it into large crumbles. Sauté until the edges are crispy, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Aromatics: Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and warm to medium heat. Add the onion and fennel to the pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender. Add the chili paste, tomato paste, and garlic; sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
Saucy: Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes,until the sauce is reduced by about half. Reduce the heat to low and add in the parmesan. Mix well, until the cheese has melted and a thick sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with ~2 tablespoon increments of reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
Combine: Add the drained pasta and cooked sausage to the pan. Mix well until everything is evenly coated in sauce, then season with pepper and salt to taste if desired.
Serve & Store: Serve warm, topped with parsley and additional parmesan, or as desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight refrigerator in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free sausage.
Sausage: I like to use Beyond Meat’s sausage in this recipe which is soft and crumbles well; you can also use a similar soft faux sausage product from another brand. If your plant-based sausage does not crumble I recommend dicing it before adding to the pan instead of slicing it.
Calabrian Chili Paste: This Italian pepper & olive oil paste has a delicious spicy and umami-rich flavor! You can swap it out for harissa paste for a different (but still delicious!) flavor, or swap it for 1 extra tablespoon of tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon of dried red chili flakes.
Parmesan: I prefer to use the Violife parmesan block, which is dairy free. You can replace the parmesan with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast; add it to the aromatics with the garlic in step 3.
Add Greens: If you’d like you can toss in 1-2 handfuls of chopped kale or baby spinach in step 4; simmer until the greens are tender, then proceed with the recipe as written.

Nutrition