Sausage Fusilli

How to Prepare Sausage Fusilli – Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide

Detailed, easy-to-follow instructions and measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of this article.

Step One

Start by preparing your vegetables, crushing the fennel seeds, and removing the casing from the sausage.

I typically slice each raw sausage in half and gently squeeze out the meat. It should come out quite easily. Discard the casings.

If you have a pestle and mortar, use that to crush the seeds. Otherwise, place them on a cutting board or in a bowl and crush them with the end of a sturdy rolling pin.

Set the crushed seeds aside on a plate until you’re ready to use them.

Step Two

Heat the oil in a large non-stick, flameproof skillet over medium heat on the stovetop.

Step Three

Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Step Four

Incorporate the garlic, carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini. Though many people like to add celery, I prefer to skip it.

Step Five

Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Step Six

Next, add the sausage meat and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly while breaking up the meat with your spatula until it turns brown and resembles coarse minced meat.

Step Seven

Mix in the fennel, chili, and tomato paste.

Step Eight

Pour in the wine, scrapping the bottom to release any browned bits of sausage, and allow it to simmer.

Step Nine

Let it simmer for 3 minutes, stirring often. If you’d prefer to skip the wine, just proceed with adding the stock right away.

Step Ten

Add the stock, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

Step Eleven

Stir everything together thoroughly.

Step Twelve

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Step Thirteen

Cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and reduced. Simmer longer if necessary.

Step Fourteen

While the pasta sauce simmers, prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, then drain and rinse it.

Step Fifteen

I like to mix the pasta directly into the sauce when I’m ready to serve, but you can also serve your sausage ragu over a bed of pasta if that’s your preference.