Italian Style Pasta Sauce with Fennel ft. May's Spice of the Month

May 17, 2018

Fennel is a highly aromatic and flavorful herb with culinary and medicinal uses and, along with the similar-tasting anise, is one of the primary ingredients of absinthe. One of our favorite ways to enjoy fennel is in an Italian style sausage – a delicious addition to a pasta sauce or in a lasagna.

We love Fennel | Spice of the Month | Well Seasoned, a gourmet food store in Langley, BC

Italian Style Pasta Sauce with Fennel

This pasta sauce will feed a crowd, freezes well and makes a killer lasagna!

A Well Seasoned Recipe - Visit us in store on 64th Avenue, in Langley, BC

Ingredients

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, sliced
¾ lb. lean ground beef
1 small cooking onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
12 oz. tomato paste
½ cup water
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. dried basil (available in store at Well Seasoned)
½ tsp. dried fennel seed (available in store at Well Seasoned)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning (available in store at Well Seasoned)
½ tsp. kosher salt (available in store at Well Seasoned)
¼ tsp. cracked black pepper (available in store at Well Seasoned)

Instructions:

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the sausage, beef, onion, and garlic until well browned; drain fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Mix in sugar and season with basil, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with your favorite cut of pasta.