RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE, ROASTED FENNEL AND PLUM TOM

RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE, ROASTED FENNEL AND PLUM TOM image

Categories Pasta

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 9

6-8 plum tomatoes
1 bulb fennel, cored and quartered
1 lb sweet Italian sausage removed from casing
1 medium shallot, diced
Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup light cream (optional)*
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb rigatoni
Shaved Pecorino Romano

Steps:

Set oven at 400, halve plum tomatoes, place on a baking dish seed-side down, add fennel and sprinkle with salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, when tomatoes have released most of their water and are starting to get slightly brown on top and fennel have softened. Meanwhile, sauté shallots in 1-tsp. olive oil along with sweet Italian sausage removed from casing. Cook sausage until is starts to get slightly brown. Roughly chop the fennel and roasted tomatoes and add to sausage and shallot mixture. Cook rigatoni in salted water according to package instructions. Toss in rigatoni and let absorb flavors for 1 minute. Top with pecorino. *If adding the light cream, cook on medium heat for approximately 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened and toss with rigatoni.