BRAISED FENNEL WITH SAUSAGE

Braised Fennel with Sausage image

Yield serves 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 7

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage without fennel seeds, removed from casing
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed, cored, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pinch peperoncino flakes

Steps:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sauté the onion and sausage, crumbling the sausage with the back of a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Push the sausage and onion to the sides of the pan to create a clear spot in the center, and plop in the tomato paste. Let the tomato paste toast for a minute or two, then stir it into the vegetables. Toss in the fennel, and season with the salt and peperoncino. Lower the heat, cover the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender and caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, and increase the heat to cook away any excess liquid in the pan, if necessary.