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Sausage and Fennel Ragu with Pappardelle

Sausage and Fennel Ragu with Pappardelle reads umami 7.8, richness 6.0 and salinity 4.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian main, about 1 hr 8 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 8.5 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.3 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.8 · Richness 6.0 · Salinity 4.9 · Allium 4.2 · Sweetness 3.4 · Fruity 2.9 · Sourness 2.9 · Funk & Ferment 2.5 · Citrus 2.4 · Heat 2.2 · Warm Spice 2.0 · Floral 2.0 · Herbaceous 1.9 · Earthy 1.9 · Nutty 1.8 · Bitterness 1.2

What's in it (14)

• olive oil — 27 g
• sweet italian sausage — 680 g
• fennel seed — 5 g
• bulb fennel — 100 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 9 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• dry white wine — 118 g
• tomatoes — 794 g
• regular milk — 118 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• dried chinese plain noodles — 340 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 8 min (1 hr 7 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 137.7 kcal, 7.6 g protein, 3.3 g fat, 18.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta; you'll cook it once the ragu is simmering.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and fennel seed, breaking the sausage into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, and cook until deeply browned in spots, 6 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the diced fennel and onion to the pot; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden at the edges, 7 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and simmer until the wine has mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened and deep red-brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
7. While the ragu simmers, cook the pappardelle in the boiling water until just al dente, 2 minutes less than the package directs; reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
8. Stir the milk into the finished ragu and simmer 1 minute to smooth and mellow the sauce, then remove the pot from the heat.
9. Add the drained pappardelle directly to the ragu along with the Parmesan and a splash of the reserved pasta water; toss over low heat until the noodles are glossy and evenly coated, about 1 minute, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
10. Divide among bowls, scatter with the reserved fennel fronds, and finish with more grated Parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Moelas Guisadas — Portuguese
• Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Rigatoni — Italian-American
• One-Pan Sausage and Peppers — Italian-American
• Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Orecchiette — Italian
• Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.