Italian Sausage & Penne
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 pound sweet and/or hot Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, slivered
4 cups broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, julienned
12 ounces penne
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup broth (vegetable, chicken or beef are all good)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herb of choice (you might try basil, parsley or even the green whispy tops of fresh fennel)
Instructions
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Remove two of the sausage from their casings and crumble meat into skillet. Cut remaining sausages into thirds and add to skillet. Cook until browned, 3-4 minutes. Cover and simmer, until sausages are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add pasta to large pot of boiling water. Remove meat with slotted spoon and place in large pasta bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. In same skillet, add garlic, broccoli and red bell pepper. Sauté until vegetables are tender but crisp. When pasta is tender, drain and place in bowl with sausage. Add olive oil and broth to vegetables and heat through. Toss prepared sausage, prepared pasta and vegetables with Parmesan, salt, fennel seeds, black pepper and herb and serve.