Ziti With Sausage, Onions, and Fennel

Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/4 lb)  fennel bulbs

• 6 quarts water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 lb uncooked ziti pasta (short, tube-shaped pasta)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
• 2 cups onions, wedges (about 2 medium, cut 1/4-inch-thick)
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup grated fresh pecorino romano cheese

Directions

1. 1

   Trim fennel, reserving fronds and bulb. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise; cut each bulb half lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices. Cut bulb slices into 2-inch-long pieces. Chop fennel fronds to measure 1/3 cup.

2. 2

   Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently.

3. 3

   Cook 8 minutes or until the pasta is almost al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 cups cooking water.

4. 4

   While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casings.

5. 5

   Add sausage to Dutch oven; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Push sausage to one side of pan.

6. 6

   Add onion to open space in pan; cook 1 minute or until onion begins to soften. Stir onion into sausage.

7. 7

   Push onion mixture to one side of the pan. Add fennel bulb to open space in pan; cook 1 minute or until fennel begins to soften.

8. 8

   Stir fennel into onion mixture. Stir in pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute. Move the sausage and fennel mixture to outside edges of pan, leaving an open space in center.

9. 9

   Add 1/4 cup tomato paste to open space in pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir tomato paste into fennel mixture.

10. 10

    Add reserved 2 cups cooking water to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until fennel is tender.

11. 11

    Add fennel fronds and pasta; cook 2 minutes or until pasta is al dente, tossing to combine. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Serve immediately.