Salsicce siciliani con rigatoni – Sicilian sausage ragu with rigatoni

As a young boy growing up in Germany, I inevitably developed a lust for würst – there are so many to choose from. Since then, I have been to southern Italy many times and always enjoy trying the local Italian sausage, from luganega to n’duja.

More recently, I visited Sicily. The roadsides were adorned with wild fennel and I was fortunate to eat at a local farmer’s house, indulging in his fresh-that-morning ricotta, local pecorino studded with black peppercorns, and his homemade, fennel- and chilli-infused sausage.

Back at home, after looking through my photos, I wanted to make a simple pasta sauce that combined some of these ingredients. Remembering Calabrian sausage sauces, I simply exchanged the tomato for Sicilian blood-orange juice, broke up some spicy Italian sausage, and grated pecorino all over the finished dish.

Serves 6 as main or 8 as a healthy primi/starter portion

Italian spicy sausages (salsicce) or good quality butchers’ Cumberland sausages 6
olive oil 2-3 tbsp
orange juice and finely grated zest of 1 (preferably blood orange)
salt 1 tsp (optional, but desirable)
rigatoni 500g (or other short pasta such as conchiglie or orecchiette)
chilli flakes 1 tsp (maybe more, depending on how spicy the Italian sausages are, or if you are using Cumberland sausages)
fennel seeds 1 tsp (maybe more, depending on how spicy the Italian sausages are, or if you are using Cumberland sausages)
garlic 1 clove, crushed
white wine a glass
fennel fronds for garnish
pecorino for serving (Sicilian, if available)

Skin the sausages and break up the meat into small ½cm pieces, and fry in the olive oil on medium to medium-high heat in a large, deep sauté pan for about 2-3 minutes.

Zest the orange and cut it in half.

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil – about 4 litres – and add about 1 tsp of salt. Cook the rigatoni for 1 minute less than it says on the packet, but test before draining – save perhaps a tablespoon or two of the cooking water.

Add the chilli flakes, fennel seeds and garlic to the sausage meat, and mix together well. When the meat starts to sizzle (this should take about 5 minutes), add the wine and simmer until it has almost evaporated, then add the orange zest, stir well, and continue to fry on low heat for 2-3 minutes.

While the pasta is draining, drizzle the sausage meat with the orange juice and stir in.

Add the pasta to the pan with the sausage meat and mix in – if it needs loosening, add in some of the cooking water to your liking.

Decorate with some fennel fronds and serve with medium or coarsely grated Sicilian pecorino.