Italian sausage, fennel, thyme. All flavorful ingredients alone. But together they make a pasta dish you’ll want to add to your regular roster. A good dose of cream brings it all together, with fresh thyme adding an aromatic accent. For all that, you’ll want a wine as richly nuanced.
Make this: Penne with Fennel and Sausage
Brown 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, in a large skillet, breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to skillet; stir in 1 large bulb fennel, cut into 1/4-inch thick sticks. Season with salt. Cook until softened, 8 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup dry white wine; cook to reduce by half. Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and reserved sausage. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Toss with 1 pound cooked penne and 1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives. Makes: 6 servings
Recipe by Joe Gray
Drink this
Pairings by sommelier Rachael Lowe of Spiaggia, as told to Michael Austin:
2012 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe La Crau Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc, Rhone Valley, France: From old-vine vineyards, this white wine is composed of clairette, grenache blanc, bourboulenc and roussanne. The wine shows aromas of golden apples, Bosc pear, honey, macadamia nut and a hint of smoke, finishing on a waxy note. The viscous, rich texture will be a great complement to the creamy nature of the dish, while also wrapping around the vegetal and meat components.
2014 La Serena, Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: This red wine is made of sangiovese grapes grown at about 1,300 feet above sea level in the northeast portion of Montalcino. A beautifully balanced wine, it has aromas of Bing cherry, macerated strawberries, dried herbs and a hint of licorice. Its heightened acidity and naturally integrated tannins will cut through the fatty nature of the sausage and heavy cream, while also complementing the dish’s herbal component.
2010 Cune Imperial Gran Reserva, Rioja, Spain: This tempranillo-based wine was fermented in concrete, aged for three years in French and American oak barrels and then aged another three years in the bottle before release. It offers notes of dried strawberry, red currant, leather, anise, sage and thyme, which will work well with the fennel bulb and herbs in the dish. Also, the wine’s tealike tannins will cut through the richness of the meat.
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