Fettuccine with Zucchini Sausage Bolognese
It's a classic. It's one of those few pasta shapes that is synonymous with a sauce. And while fettuccine alfredo is good, it's also tired and distorted thanks to Olive Garden and Carrabba's. The shape, which translates to little ribbons, however, is great because it's hearty and flat, so it can sop up lots of flavor and sauce. It's no surprise that this shape comes from Rome, a city of decadence and gluttony, but how you balance that is important to making the inevitable food coma enjoyable - comfy pants, a cold towel, and the proper sauce.
Zucchini is everywhere around here right now. Every farmers market and grocery store. You can’t avoid it if you wanted to. But what’s great about zucchini is how it can take on the taste of anything you want it to – it’s like the chicken of the garden. For this recipe, I took inspiration from a bolognese, but decided to use zucchini as the base to create something a little naturally creamier. While it may look like a scene from The Exorcist, I can promise you this is tasty as hell.
The Recipe
Servings: 4
Prep time: 10 mins.
Cook time: 1 hr.
Difficulty: Medium
Special Equipment:
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Notes:
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Ingredients & Mise en Place
• 16 oz. fettuccine
• 6 zucchini - half and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 lb. mild italian sausage - ground and broken up
• 1 head garlic - sliced thin
• ¼ cup parmesan
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup parsley
• 2 tsp. Fennel seeds
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• Pepper
Preparation
Bolognese
01.
Working in batches, use a blender or food processor to puree the zucchini. If it starts to look dry, you can add a little olive oil. Once all the zucchini has been processed, set aside or in the refrigerator if you will be making it later.
02.
In a deep sauté pan over medium heat, add 1/2 cup olive oil and garlic and cook until soft, ~1-2 mins. Then add the sausage and continue to break up if needed until the consistency of ground beef. Once browned, remove from the pan and add in the zucchini, fennel seeds, and parsley. Begin to sauté, once the vegetable puree has reduced, add in white wine and reduce again. Once reduced to a slurry, add the sausage back in with the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce over low heat with a gentle simmer while pasta cooks.
Pasta
01.
Bring a large stock pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente, which for fettuccine is about 10 to 12 minutes. Once it has finished cooking, strain and add to the zucchini bolognese, stir and toss to coat evenly. Divide into 4 portions and cover with a good amount of cheese.
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