Crispy sausage orecchiette
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- Easy
- Serves 2
Ingredients
- 3 herby pork sausages
- ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes, crushed, plus extra to serve
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- ½ lemon, grated zest only, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 200g orecchiette
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 100g cavolo nero, leaves torn from the stalks and finely sliced
- 100g pre-cooked brown or green lentils, drained
- 40g (drained weight) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
- 150ml hot chicken stock
Method
- STEP 1
Squeeze the sausages out of their skins into a bowl and sprinkle over the chilli flakes, fennel seeds and lemon zest. Mix everything together and put to one side.
- STEP 2
Put a large frying pan over a medium heat, then add the oil and sausage mixture. Fry, breaking it down with a wooden spoon into little pieces, for 5-10 minutes or until crisp and golden. Scoop out onto a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving behind any fat for later, and leave to one side.
- STEP 3
Cook the orecchiette in a large pan of boiling, salted water following pack instructions.
- STEP 4
While the orecchiette is cooking, put the frying pan back on the hob and add the garlic. Add the cavolo nero and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Scatter over the lentils and sun-dried tomatoes, and toss together. Pour in the hot stock.
- STEP 5
Drain the orecchiette, reserving a cupful of cooking water, and add to the pan with the sausage mixture.
- STEP 6
Toss together, with a little of the reserved pasta water, if needed, and season to taste. Spoon into serving bowls, grate over a little more lemon zest and sprinkle with extra chilli flakes.