Fennel & Pork Sausage Ragù
Fennel & Pork Sausage Ragù – rich, hearty, and packed with deep, slow-cooked flavour. With so much amazing fennel available right now, I just had to make a dish that really lets it shine. The sweet, aniseedy notes of fennel pair beautifully with the richness of pork sausage, creating a comforting and flavourful sauce that I couldn’t stop going back for!
This ragù is all about slow-cooked goodness. The base starts with sautéed onions, garlic, and fennel seeds, bringing out a deep, fragrant aroma. Then comes the pork sausage, browned to perfection, adding savoury depth. A touch of anchovies melts into the sauce, giving it that umami boost without being overpowering. Finally, everything simmers slowly with tomatoes, herbs, and a splash of wine, creating a sauce that’s thick, rich, and absolutely irresistible.
Toss it with your favourite pasta (pappardelle or rigatoni work wonders), spoon it over creamy polenta, or even serve it with crusty bread to mop up every last bit. However you enjoy it, this Fennel & Pork Sausage Ragù is a must-try, especially when fennel is at its best!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
✔️ Deep, Slow-Cooked Flavour – Rich, hearty, and packed with umami goodness.
✔️ Fennel at Its Best – Brings a fresh, aromatic twist to a classic ragù.
✔️ Comfort Food Perfection – Thick, meaty, and made for cosy meals.
✔️ Versatile & Satisfying – Serve it with pasta, polenta, or crusty bread.
✔️ Make-Ahead Friendly – Tastes even better the next day!
Make a big batch of this Fennel & Pork Sausage Ragù, and enjoy a bowl of pure comfort – it’s one of those dishes that just gets better with time!
I love using fennel seeds and sausage this way, here some more examples: Fennel Sausage in a Tomato Fennel & Parmesan Broth and Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup.
Fennel & Pork Sausage Ragù
(4 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
Loading...Discover the delightful Fennel & Pork Sausage Ragù, featuring deep flavours from slow cooking and deliciously fragrant fennel and the sweetness of fennel seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 pork sausages, skins removed
- 2 fennel, thinly sliced, fronds set aside
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2-3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 3-4 anchovies filets
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 canned whole tomatoes
- ± 100 ml red wine (or water) for deglazing
- Pinch chili flakes
- 1 tsp sugar
- Pepper & salt
- Pasta of choice, like spaghetti, tagliatelle or rigatoni, ± 80 g per person
- Fennel fronds, roughly chopped
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a heavy based pan and add the pork sausages. Break them down into smaller pieces with a spatula, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until starting to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside, they don't ned to be cooked through, they will continue to cook in the sauce later.
To the same pan add a small drop of olive oil if needed and add the onions and garlic and a pinch of salt.
Sauté for 1-2 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
Add the thinly sliced fennel and the fennel seeds and mix well so everything is coated.
Sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat then add the anchovies, don't worry they will dissolve into the sauce, no need to chop them.
Turn the heat down and sauté on low heat for ± 8 minutes, stirring now and then, making sure it doesn't burn but caramelises (if it's going to fast add a drop of water).
Add the tomato paste and mix well to coat everything, let it sauté for another 2 minutes.
Turn up the heat and add the wine (or water) to deglaze the pan, making sure you scrape all the goodness from the bottom of the pan with a spatula.
Pour in the canned tomatoes, a can of water, a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of chili flakes. Bring to a simmer.
Add the sausage meat back to the sauce, together with their resting juices and let the sauce bubble away on low-medium heat for ± 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit.
Taste and season with pepper and salt if needed.
Cook the pasta according to the packaging, cooking it 1 minute less than recommended.
Drain the pasta, setting some of the pasta water aside.
Add the pasta to the sauce and a tablespoon of the pasta water and stir vigorously, this will make the sauce emulsify. Add more pasta water if you'd like a wetter sauce.
Serve with some fresh fennel fronds and a drizzle of olive oil over the top.
