56 ounce tomatoes whole with 1/2 cup juice reserved peeled halved seeded drained canned
1.5 pounds fennel sausage sweet italian cut into 1-inch pieces
0.5 teaspoon fennel seeds
1.5 cups basil leaves fresh
0.3 cup parsley fresh chopped
2 cloves garlic sliced
6 servings kosher salt
0.3 cup olive oil extra-virgin
1 cup pecorino cheese shredded
0.3 teaspoon pepper flakes red
0.5 teaspoon saffron threads
0.8 pound pasta like spaghetti
Equipment
frying pan
pot
Directions
Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.
Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 7 minutes. Push to one side of the skillet and increase the heat to high.
Add the tomatoes, stirring to break them up a bit, and cook until the edges brown and the oil turns red, about 6 minutes. Stir the sausage and tomatoes together.
Add the garlic, bay leaves, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes to the skillet, then scatter the saffron over the mixture. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.
Add the parsley, 1 cup basil and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
Add the spaghetti, cooking liquid and reserved tomato juice to the sausage sauce and toss, about 3 minutes. Top with the pecorino and the remaining 1/2 cup basil.
