Fennel sausage and broccoli pasta

• Chill the sausages before removing the casing: It makes it easier to squeeze out the meat cleanly without it sticking to your hands.
• Pre-slice the broccoli stems before blanching. They take slightly longer to cook than the florets, so cutting them smaller ensures even tenderness.
• Let the sausage pieces sit for 1–2 minutes before moving them. This helps with caramelisation and depth of flavour. Cook the sausage in batches if necessary as overcrowding can cause it to steam.
• Cook the pasta slightly under al dente before adding it to the pan because it will finish cooking in the sauce. Also don’t add too much water as this will dilute the starch needed in the pasta water to form the sauce.
• A few splashes of pasta water at a time as you toss helps control consistency and avoid a watery sauce.
• Add lemon juice slowly: Too much acidity can thin or curdle the emulsion with cheese.
• Stir in Parmesan off the heat: This prevents clumping and ensures it melts smoothly into a creamy sauce.
• Toss continuously while finishing: This keeps the sauce emulsified and coats the pasta evenly.

• I went for a classic Italian sausage with the notable flavouring of fennel. However, you can use whatever sausage you like - I like a sweet or spicy Italian sausage as a tasty alternative. More commonly found sausages such as Lincolnshire or Cumberland can also be used. To replicate the original recipe flavour base, add a couple teaspoons of fennel seeds whilst frying the sausage.
• You can also replace the parmesan with pecorino if you prefer a softer, creamier but sharper sauce than the nuttier and sweeter flavours of the parmesan.
• My personal preference is to use tenderstem broccoli over regular broccoli due to its milder and sweeter taste as well as smaller florets.

Refrigeration: Store leftover portions in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Freezing: You can freeze the pasta for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Ensure the pasta has cooled completely before freezing to minimise the formation of ice crystals. Be aware that freezing the cooked pasta will result in deterioration of the texture.

If re-heating from frozen, ensure it has fully defrosted. Whether that is overnight in the fridge out in the microwave on the defrost setting. My preference is to re-heat on the stove as re-heating in the microwave can cause the oils to separate.

Stove: Re-heat sausage and broccoli pasta on the stove over medium heat. Add a little water to prevent the ingredients from drying out.

Microwave: For a quick re-heat, transfer a portion to a microwave-safe dish and heat on medium power. Repeat until heated through.