Yaya's House Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Remove sausage from casings and break into bite-size pieces. Finely dice onion, chop fennel bulb if using, and mince garlic. Grate the Parmesan and chop parsley; set aside.

Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When shimmering, add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer the browned sausage to a bowl and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pan.

If the pan is dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the diced onion and chopped fennel bulb. Sauté over medium heat until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 6–8 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt to help sweat the vegetables.

Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant (do not burn). Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to deepen its flavor.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine or chicken stock, scraping up browned bits. Let it reduce by half, about 1–2 minutes.

Return the cooked sausage to the pan. Add the canned diced tomatoes (with their juices). Stir to combine, then add fennel pollen, black pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), and 3/4 teaspoon of the salt. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, gently breaking up tomatoes with the spoon so sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package directions). Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

With the sausage-tomato sauce at a gentle simmer, stir in 1 tablespoon heavy cream or half-and-half if using, then add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and 3/4 cup of the grated Parmesan. Stir to emulsify and loosen the sauce. If mixture seems too thick, add more reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Add the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the sauce (use a large sauté pan or transfer sauce to the pasta pot). Toss vigorously over medium heat for 1–2 minutes so the pasta finishes cooking and absorbs the sauce—add additional reserved pasta water as needed to reach a silky consistency.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt if needed and more black pepper. Stir in chopped parsley and fold to combine.

Transfer pasta to a serving bowl or individual plates. Finish with the remaining 1 teaspoon fennel pollen sprinkled evenly over the top and a drizzle of olive oil if desired. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan or grated Pecorino and a pinch of red pepper flakes to taste.

Serve immediately while hot. Recommend pairing with a green salad and crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Leftovers keep refrigerated up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water or cream to loosen.