One Pan Sausage, Fennel & Chickpea Pasta

One of my go-to midweek meals which has some of my favourite flavours. It’s high in protein, delicious and really quick to pull together. We all know pork and fennel is a marriage made in heaven anyway and with the addition of plenty of parmesan, garlic, a splash of white wine, anchovies, and a touch of lemon, it’s a bowl of comfort food you will return to time and again.

(Serves 4 - £1.87 per portion)

1. Squeeze 400g pork sausages out of their casings and add to a large saute pan over a medium/high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil, breaking it up as you go. Fry for 8-10 minutes until crispy, golden and caramelised. Remove to a plate, leaving all the lovely flavoured far behind.
2. Lower the heat in the pan and add a chopped onion and fennel bulb, fry until softened and just starting to caramelise before adding 3 crushed garlic cloves, 3 anchovies, 1 tsp fennel seeds and 1/4-1/2tsp chilli flakes depending on how spicy you would like it. Add the zest of a lemon, some finely chopped parsley stalks and fry for a couple of minutes.
3. Return the sausage meat to the pan along with a splash of white wine. Reduce until no liquid remains and add a drained can of chickpeas. Stir, then add 500ml hot chicken stock, a parmesan rind if you have one and 300g rigatoni pasta. Add more water so the pasta is covered.
4. Put a lid on the pan and simmer until the pasta is al dente. Add 50g grated parmesan, the juice of a lemon and 180g washed spinach. Stir until the spinach has wilted and season generously.
5. Spoon into bowls, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with more grated parmesan and chopped parsley.