Sausage, Fennel, Gochujang and Vodka Pasta

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Sausage, Fennel, Gochujang and Vodka Pasta

Servings 4 -6

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 700 g good quality pork sausages skinned and crumbled
  • 3 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
  • 2 medium red onions finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp gochujang paste (more if you like it spicy)
  • 4 tbsp tomato purée
  • 150 ml vodka
  • 6 tbsp good dark balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar (optional depending on your balsamic)
  • 300 g baby plum tomatoes halved
  • 200 g soured cream or full fat creme fraîche
  • 400 g rigatoni, penne or a tube/ shell shape pasta
  • FOR THE TOPPING
  • 70 g unsalted butter
  • 4 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 tsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • 100 g panko breadcrumbs
  • 4 tbsp parmesan finely grated

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and gently fry over a medium heat until the onion softens, around 8-10 minutes. Add the crushed fennel seeds, the sausage meat and a good amount of seasoning. Cook until the meat colours slightly, approximately five minutes. Stir in the gochujang and cook for a couple more minutes.
  • Stir in the tomato purée, vodka, balsamic vinegar and sugar, mix to combine and then add the plum tomatoes. Cover with a lid and cook, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes have collapsed.
  • Stir in the sour cream and cook over a low heat for around 10 minutes. Taste and season. Remove from the heat, cover and leave for around half an hour to let the flavours develop,.
  • To make the topping, take a frying pan and place over a medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt, add the garlic and rosemary and fry for 1-2 minutes. Turn up the heat slightly and add the breadcrumbs and parmesan and cook for around 5 minutes until golden. Take off the heat and transfer to a bowl and allow to cool and crisp up.
  • When you are ready to serve, cook the pasta in well salted boiling water, according to the packet instructions, drain and reserve a little of the cooking water.
  • Reheat the sauce in a large pan over a low heat, add a little of the pasta cooking water to loosen if needed. Then add the pasta and stir through to coat. Serve in large bowls with a generous sprinkling of the crunchy topping.

Notes

TOP TIPS
  • The sauce is best made in advance as the flavours develop so make it a day or so ahead of when you need it.  You can also make the topping and store in an airtight container.  When reheating the sauce you might need to add some of the pasta cooking water to it if you it needs loosening.
  • You can leave out the vodka if you want but it does add a certain something to the sauce.  It helps create a richer, more cohesive texture to the tomato sauce.  You can't taste the vodka itself as the alcohol evaporates during cooking but it does enhance the other flavours within the sauce adding a richness.
  • You might not need to add the sugar if you use a very good, slightly sweet balsamic vinegar.  Some vinegars are too sharp and need the sugar to balance the dish but others (like the Fino vinegar I use) do not need the extra sweetness. Taste and decide if you need to add the sugar.  
  • Gochujang is a savoury, spicy Korean red pepper paste made from fermented red pepper powder, rice, soybeans and salt.  Not all pastes you buy are the same strength so proceed with caution as some can be very hot!Â