This Pork and Fennel Pasta with crunchy Pangrattato topping of garlic breadcrumbs is heaven in a bowl.
If there’s anything better than pasta, it’s pasta with garlicky breadcrumbs all over it. That’s what we’re doing with this pork sausage and fennel pasta, and you’re going to love it.
Crunchy and juicy, sweet and salty, this pasta has all the flavours going. And there’s one flavour you might find a bit tricky to place, that’s the secret ingredient… Hoisin sauce. It complements pork and fennel, and gives a deep umami flavour that is so very satisfying.
Here’s what you need to make Pork and Fennel Pasta
- Pork sausages - good quality. You can use any flavour combination you like. Slice the skin from the sausages and crumble into the pan.
- Vegetables - fennel, parsley, kalamata olives, carrot and baby tomatoes
- Sauce - fennel seeds, garlic, tomato paste, white wine vinegar, hoisin sauce and pasta water
- Pangrattato (flavoured breadcrumbs) - garlic, olive oil and panko breadcrumbs
- Garnish - Save fennel fronds.
How to make Pork and Fennel Pasta
- Toast breadcrumbs with olive oil and minced garlic. Remove.
- Add oil, fennel seeds and crumble sausage to a pan. Leave to brown on one side, then cook, stirring.
- Add vegetables and saute until soft.
- Add sauces and pasta water.
- Add al dente pasta, stir through, then top with breadcrumbs.
Top tip
Breadcrumbs can burn easily, make sure you stir regularly to toast them evenly.
Substitutions
- Alternative proteins - Chicken or beef sausage.
- Vegetarian - Use minced mushrooms instead of pork sausage.
- Dairy Free - This recipe is dairy free.
- Gluten Free - Swap spaghetti for gluten free spaghetti, and panko breadcrumbs for almond meal or gluten free panko breadcrumbs. Use gluten free hoisin sauce, or sub for oyster sauce or tamari.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Serve pasta plain.
- Serve sauce before you add olives or parsley.
Equipment
You will need a lidded pot, a stovetop, a deep frying pan.
More Pasta Recipes
Recipe
Fennel and Pork Pasta with Pangrattato
This Pork and Fennel Pasta with crunchy Pangrattato topping of garlic breadcrumbs is a perfect Autumn dinner.
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Servings: 4
Equipment
- Lidded pot
- Stovetop
- Deep frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 fennel
- 1 carrot
- ½ bunch parsley
- 100 g Kalamata olives pitted
- 4 cloves garlic
- 500 g pork sausages
- 1 teaspoon salt 1 ¼ teaspoon total for the recipe
- 2 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoon total for the recipe
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ teaspoon salt 1 ¼ teaspoon total for the recipe
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 tablespoon total for the recipe
- 1.5 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 350 g spaghetti
- 150 g baby tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ cup pasta water
- ⅓ cup reserved fennel fronds
- 2 pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- Dice fennel and reserve fronds for garnish. Grate carrot. Finely chop parsley. Slice olives in half. Peel and mince garlic. Peel skin from sausages.1 fennel, 1 carrot, ½ bunch parsley, 100 g Kalamata olives, 4 cloves garlic, 500 g pork sausages
- Boil a large pot of salted water for the pasta.Place a large, deep frying pan on medium heat. Add oil, half the garlic, breadcrumbs and salt, and cook, stirring regularly, until toasted.1 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup panko breadcrumbs, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Remove toasted breadcrumbs and set aside. Add more oil to the deep frying pan. Add fennel seeds and crumble in pork sausage. Cook without stirring for 1 minute to brown, then stir until cooked through.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1.5 teaspoon fennel seeds, 500 g pork sausages
- Add pasta to boiling water, and set a timer to 2 minutes before al dente. Add fennel, carrot, remaining garlic and whole baby tomatoes to the deep frying pan. Saute until fennel is soft.350 g spaghetti
- Add hoisin sauce, tomato paste and white wine vinegar to the pasta sauce and stir to cook through.2 tablespoon hoisin sauce, ⅓ cup tomato paste, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Use tongs to remove some plain pasta to your child’s plate. Place their portion of sauce on their plate. Then transfer remaining pasta to the deep pan, and add pasta water, olives, and parsley. Cook for 1-2 mins.100 g Kalamata olives, ½ cup pasta water, ½ bunch parsley
- To serve adults, plate up pasta, top with golden breadcrumbs and fennel fronds, and season well with salt and pepper (opt.). If you reheat, add more reserved pasta water.⅓ cup reserved fennel fronds, 2 pinch salt and pepper
Nutrition
Calories: 976kcal | Carbohydrates: 95g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 2429mg | Potassium: 1229mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 3955IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 6mg
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