DAN MEDCALF’S SAUSAGE, FENNEL & BROCCOLI LEAF PASTA

“This is one of the easiest and tastiest pasta dishes on the planet” says Daniel Medcalf, a chef well-versed in Italian cuisine thanks to a background leading the kitchens at Sydney’s Icebergs Dining Room and Bar and The Dolphin. “A sprinkling of extra fennel seeds boosts the flavour of the Salumi Australia sausage and makes for one mean meal that my household tends to have at least once a week.”

Ingredients

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 Salumi Australia pork and fennel sausage coil
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
• ¼ cup dry white wine + 150ml for personal consumption while cooking
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tbsp salted butter
• Half bunch broccoli leaf (Gia Lan), half brunch broccolini – roughly chopped
• Handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus extra to serve
• A bag of short pasta like orecchiette
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Cut the ends off the sausages and squeeze out small nuggets of the meat into the pan. Cook these for 5-10 minutes until the sausage meatballs are golden and set aside.
3. Add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes and garlic to the pan, stirring well to ensure the mixture doesn’t burn. 
4. After a minute pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape the caramelisation off the bottom of the pan. 
5. Once the wine has evaporated, return the meatballs to the pan with the chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Then add the broccoli leaf to the mixture and leave to wilt while you cook your pasta.
6. Bring a separate large saucepan of water to the boil, seasoning heavily with salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
7. After draining the pasta (and reserving ½ cup of the pasta water), add your pasta to the sauce. Throw in the butter and handful of parmigiana. Give everything a firm stir, slowly adding the pasta water to loosen everything up. 
8. Serve immediately with extra handfuls of parmigiana (there can never be too much cheese).