INGREDIENTS:
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings discarded
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 large garlic, minced
2 large red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 fennel bulb, sliced thin (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni or other tubular pasta
1/2 cup minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
freshly grated parmesan to taste
PREPARATION:
In a heavy skillet cook the sausage over moderate heat, stirring and breaking up any lumps, until it is cooked through and transfer it with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Add the oil to the skillet and in it cook the onion and the garlic over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the bell pepper and the fennel and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the bell pepper and fennel are softened. Add the wine and broth, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 5 minutes. Add the cream and boil the mixture until it is thickened slightly and reduced by about one third. In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the rigatoni until it is al dente and drain it well. Stir into the fennel mixture the parsley, the sausage, and salt and pepper to taste and in a bowl toss the sauce with the rigatoni and the Parmesan.
Serves 4.