Fusilli With Sausage, Fennel & Red Wine

Photo: Jenny Richards

Ingredients

1 pound bulk sausage meat, broken into small pieces (we used our spicy homemade Italian)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

[1/2 fennel bulb, sliced - our addition]

3 teaspoons tomato paste

2 cups dry red wine, such as Chianti

2 eggs, at room temperature

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sea salt

1 pound dried Italian pasta, such as fusilli or penne

cup About 1 pasta cooking water

Preparation

In a skillet large enough to hold the pasta later on, brown the meat with no additional fat over low heat for 3 - 4 minutes. With the end of a spatula, continue to break up the sausage pieces into fine bits of meat.

Add the fennel seeds, sliced fennel and tomato paste, toss to blend, and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

Slowly add the wine, pouring it all over the surface of the pan. Adjust the heat to bring the liquid to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until most of the wine - and alcohol - have cooked off, about 15 minutes from the time the liquid comes to a simmer. Taste for seasoning.

Place the eggs in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Whisk in the cheese and a generous grinding of pepper. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil. When the water boils, add 3 T salt and the pasta, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook until tender but firm to the bite, 9 - 11 minutes. Carefully drain the pasta, leaving a few drops of water clinging to the pasta so that the sauce will adhere. Reserve 1 c cooking water.

Add the pasta to the skillet with the sausage meat and use two forks to toss thoroughly, evenly coating the pasta with the sauce.

Remove the pan from the heat and working quickly with two forks, stir in the egg mixture. Continue to toss until each piece of the pasta is evenly coated with sauce. (The pasta should not be dry; if it is, add the pasta water tablespoon by tablespoon, tossing after each addition, to create a smooth, clinging sauce).

Serve immediately in warmed shallow soup bowls. Pass the pepper mill.