Description
Creamy Calabrian Chili Pappardelle with Sausage and Fennel is a bold, spicy pasta dish made with velvety cream, savory Italian sausage, and aromatic fennel. A perfect weeknight comfort meal, packed with flavor and easy to prepare. This creamy pappardelle recipe is sure to become a favorite for pasta lovers.
Ingredients
12 oz pappardelle pasta
8 oz Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Calabrian chili paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking it apart. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, sauté fennel until soft and slightly caramelized.
3. Add garlic and Calabrian chili paste. Sauté for 1 minute. Deglaze with chicken broth, scraping up browned bits.
4. Reduce heat. Stir in cream and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Return sausage to the skillet.
5. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
6. Add pasta to the sauce with some reserved water. Toss to coat.
7. Stir in Parmesan, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and top with fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
Use sweet or spicy Italian sausage depending on your heat preference.
To mellow fennel flavor, slice it very thin and sauté until golden.
For extra heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or more chili paste.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 635
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 810mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 105mg