Orecchiette with Sausage, Fennel, and Sweet Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 pound bell peppers, sliced
• 1 bulb fennel, cored and quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 (16 ounce) package orecchiette pasta
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup basil leaves

Step 1

Gently heat your oven to 475°F. Toss the bell peppers and fennel with some oil and thyme, then spread them out on a baking sheet. Roast the veggies for about 8 to 10 minutes until they’re nice and tender. While that’s going, warm up a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and shallot and cook, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until it’s browned and crumbly—this should take around 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess grease.

Step 2

Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette and cook it until it’s just tender but still has a little bite, about 12 to 14 minutes. Before draining, save a cup of the pasta water.

Step 3

Add the cooked pasta, tomato paste, garlic, and roasted veggies to the sausage in the skillet. Cook everything together over medium heat for a couple of minutes until it smells amazing. Pour in some of the reserved pasta water and let it simmer until the sauce thickens to your liking, about 3 to 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and stir in fresh basil before serving.