I’m counting down to Ina’s memoir release by sharing one favorite recipe daily from each of her 13 cookbooks!
Cooking for Jeffrey was the first cookbook released after I began this project, and of Ina’s 1,350+ recipes, it contains the recipe I often cite as my favorite: Rigatoni with Sausage & Fennel – or as someone once called it: Adult Hamburger Helper 😂.
Don’t be put off by the idea of fennel; once cooked, its anise flavor is subtle and hardly noticeable. Instead, it adds a delightful depth to the dish without overwhelming the other flavors.
The fennel is cooked down with onions, then sweet Italian sausage is added, along with ground fennel seeds and red pepper flakes, followed by a bit of white wine, heavy cream, and tomato paste. After simmering to meld the flavors, the sauce is tossed with rigatoni, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.
The result is a rich, indulgent meal that’s simple to prepare and can easily be made ahead of time – how bad could that be?!
Book: Cooking for Jeffrey, page 114
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: rigatoni
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: —
Recipe on Foodnetwork.com
