Hearty Sausage and Fennel Rigatoni

Thu, 29 October 2026

Serves 4 

A combination of two famous dishes – sausage ragù and pasta alla vodka – this is 

possibly my favourite dish in the book. Creamy and moreish, you’ll love this in your 

time of need (and there’s a shot of vodka in it, which might also help!). It feels like 

weekend comfort eating, but it’s perfect any day. It freezes well too. 

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (or you could use an onion instead) 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

2 tsp fennel seeds 

300g (10½oz) sausage meat or good-quality sausages, sliced (I love Italian-style 

pork sausages) 

1 shot of vodka or sambuca (optional) 

400ml (1⅔ cups) passata or 1 x 400g (14oz) tin of chopped tomatoes 

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, tied together with an elastic band 

300–400g (10½–14oz) rigatoni (or any pasta) 

250g (9oz) mascarpone or cream cheese (160ml (⅔ cup) cream works too) 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

TO GARNISH: 

freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

finely chopped fresh rosemary or parsley 

TO SERVE: 

garlic bread 

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add the fennel and cook for 5 

minutes, until it’s slightly soft and translucent. Add the garlic and fennel seeds and 

cook for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. 

Turn up the heat a little, then add your sausage meat or sliced sausages. Cook for at 

least 5 minutes, breaking up the sausage meat with a wooden spoon as you stir. If 

using vodka or sambuca, add it now and let it bubble for 1 minute before adding the 

passata and rosemary sprigs. Season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 5–6 

minutes. 

At this stage your water will probably be boiling, so add the pasta and cook it 

according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Reserve a mugful of the pasta 

cooking water, then drain the pasta. 

Stir the mascarpone or cream cheese into the tomato sauce, then add the drained 

pasta. Stir to coat all the pasta in the sauce, then taste for seasoning. Add some of 

the pasta cooking water if you want to loosen the sauce. 

Divide among four wide, shallow bowls, then grate over lashings of Parmesan and 

garnish with finely chopped fresh rosemary or parsley. Serve with garlic bread on the 

side.