A rich, velvety pasta featuring charred sweet peppers and crispy fennel-infused sausage meatballs.
Ingredients
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4 Sweet bell peppers (halved lengthways and de-seeded)
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1 Medium onion (finely diced)
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4 Cloves garlic (minced)
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1 tbsp Fennel seeds
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1 tbsp Dried oregano
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5 tbsp Tomato purée
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400g Monty & Sons Fusilli
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6 High-quality pork sausages
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300ml Single cream
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150g Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
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70g Unsalted butter
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40ml Olive oil
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1 splash Dry white wine (for deglazing)
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Fresh parsley or basil (for garnish)
Method
1. Char the Peppers
Set your grill (broiler) to high. Place the peppers skin-side up on a baking tray. Grill for 4–5 minutes until the skins are blackened and blistered. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl, and cover with a lid or plastic wrap the steam will make the skins slide right off later.
2. Sear the Sausage
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, squeeze the sausage meat out of its casings into small, bite-sized meatballs. Heat a large pan or Dutch oven with a glug of olive oil over high heat. Add the meatballs and fennel seeds; fry until the sausage is deeply golden and crispy.
3. Build the Sauce Base
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and butter to the pan. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up all those flavorful browned bits from the bottom.
4. Simmer and Finish
Once the smell of alcohol has cooked off, stir in the tomato purée and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes to take the "raw" edge off the tomato. Pour in the single cream and add the parmesan. Stir gently and let it simmer on low heat.
5. Prepare the Peppers & Pasta
Drop the fusilli into the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes (or until just al dente). While the pasta boils, peel the blackened skins off the peppers and slice the flesh into thin strips. Stir most of the peppers into the sauce, reserving a few for garnish.
6. The Final Toss
Drain the pasta, making sure to reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water. Toss the fusilli into the sauce. Add a splash of the pasta water and stir vigorously over the heat for 30 seconds. This "emulsifies" the sauce, making it glossy and ensuring it clings to every spiral of the fusilli.
7. Serve
Divide between two large bowls. Top with the remaining roasted peppers, a final dusting of parmesan, and a handful of fresh herbs.
