Hospitality students cooking up a storm in COVID times…

The hospitality students have been busy cooking meals at home for their families. They have made some delicious treats such as homemade stocks, Three Cheese Risotto, Roasted Pumpkin Soup to name a few.

This week’s lessons via zoom included a very lovely Italian Pork and Fennel Sausage Pasta. The recipe is enough to feed at least 4 people and doesn’t take too long to prepare. I have attached the recipe for you to try at home. I hope some of you try the dish on your family. If you cannot get pork and fennel sausages at your supermarket or butcher any good quality flavoursome ones will do.

Happy Cooking from us here at Carroll College.

Chef Jane & Chef Amy

Italian Pork and Fennel Sausage Spaghetti

Let the pork & tomato sauce simmer away until thick and rich while you cook the spaghetti. This dish takes weeknight pasta to a new level.

SERVES: 4 

PREPARATION: 10  minutes

COOKING:  30 minutes

Skill level: EASY

Ingredients

• 750 ml (3 cups) passata- HOME MADE!

Sauce ingredients:

2 onions- brunoise

2 crushed garlic cloves

1 tablespoon of tomato paste or 100ml tomato puree

2 x 400gm canned diced tomatoes

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 500 g Italian pork and fennel sausages
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1onion, finely diced
• 2garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tsp oregano leaves, finely chopped, plus extra, to serve
• ½ cup Ligurian olives(good quality black olives) omit if you don’t like Olives
• salt flakes and black pepper, to taste
• 300gm spaghetti
• Parmesan to serve

Instructions for sauce

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the onions and cook on a low heat until soft. Add the garlic and tomato purée. Cook for a few minutes then add the chopped tomatoes and oregano. Season generously and simmer for 20 mins, then allow to cool.

Store in sterilised jars in the fridge for up to 1 week, or transfer to a container and freeze for up to 2 months

 Instructions for Pasta sauce

1. Squeeze sausage meat from casings and break up. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until lightly golden.
3. Increase heat and add sausage meat. Cook for 8-10 minutes until sausage meat is browned.
4. Stir in passata (Home-made tomato sauce), oregano and olives. Season with salt flakes and black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until sauce has thickened (you may need to add a little water... or red wine.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Drain.
6. Divide spaghetti between serving warm plates and top with sauce. Garnish with extra oregano and crumbled parmesan. Sprinkle with dried chilli flakes if you like chilli.