Orecchiette with Sausage

orecchiette with sausage and bechamel sauce in white bowl and silver fork in background

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5 from 1 vote

Orecchiette mixed through a rich and delicious sausage ragù, topped with a thick and creamy béchamel sauce!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £3 / $4

Equipment

Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
Small Pot & Whisk (for béchamel sauce)
Large Pot & Large Slotted Spoon (for pasta)
Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients

Béchamel Sauce

1 cup / 240ml Whole Milk
1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan
1 tbsp Flour
1 tbsp Butter
1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper, to taste (preferably white pepper if you have it)

Sausage Pasta

14oz / 400g Orecchiette, or other short-cut pasta (see notes)
1lb / 500g Sausage Meat (see notes)
2/3 cup / 160ml Chicken Stock
1/2 cup / 120ml Whole Milk
1/3 cup / 80ml Dry White Wine (see notes)
1/3 cup / 95g Tomato Puree (Tomato Paste in US)
1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan
4 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
2 Shallots, finely diced
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds, crushed (see notes)
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes, or to spice preference
handful of Small Basil Leaves, to garnish
Olive Oil, as needed
Salt & Pepper, as needed

Instructions

In a small pot over medium heat melt 1 tbsp butter. Mix in 1 tbsp flour to create a roux, then gradually add in the milk, whisking as you go to ensure no lumps form. Stir in parmesan, nutmeg and salt & pepper (to taste). Gently simmer for a few mins until it thickens. You can make the béchamel at the start and reheat it over low heat with a splash of milk to loosen it up if you need to (give it a good whisk to smooth out any lumps). Or, make it simultaneously as the pasta is cooking and the sauce is simmering (step 4).
Add a drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add in the shallots & garlic and fry for a couple of mins to soften, then add in the sausage. Break it up with your wooden spoon and fry until golden and starting to form a crust. Stir in the crushed fennel seeds, then add the tomato puree and fry for a couple of mins.
Pour in the wine and simmer until the tomato puree re-thickens and the pungent smell of alcohol burns off. Pour in chicken stock and milk, then stir in oregano and chilli flakes. Gently simmer for 10 or so mins until nice and thick.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Don't drain the water.
Use a large slotted spoon to transfer the pasta straight from the pot into the pan, embracing any water that comes with it. Stir through the sauce, then stir in parmesan. At this point you can stir through more of the leftover pasta water to loosen up the should if you need to.
Check for seasoning then serve up with a few spoonfuls of béchamel and a sprinkling of fresh basil leaves.

Video

Notes

a) Orecchiette - This pasta is awesome because it collects the sauce in the centre of each piece. You'll certainly find it online or in Italian food stores, but I'm pretty sure they sell it in Tesco and Waitrose too. You can however sub any short-cut pasta if you can't find it.

b) Sausage - I use regular sausage meat from the supermarket. If you can't find that, just grab some good-quality sausages and squeeze the meat from the skins. If you're in the US and can get plain sausage meat use that, if not I imagine mild Italian sausage will work just fine.

c) Fennel - You can crush the seeds either in a pestle & mortar, in a zip lock bag & rolling pin, or finely dice them in a drizzle of olive oil (so they don't bounce everywhere). Fennel has a very strong, pungent flavour, but it goes so beautifully with pork. If you know you don't like it then you can leave it out, if you're unsure you can start with 1/4 tsp and work up.

d) Inspiration - This dish is inspired by an awesome recipe I stumbled across on IG from jacobi_cooks. Do check out his page!

e) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4 assuming 1/2 tbsp olive oil is used.

Nutrition