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This Vegan Sausage and Fennel Pasta Recipe tosses crispy sausage, sliced fennel, and al dente pasta in a spicy Calabrian chili-infused sauce. It’s a 30-minute comfort food with bold Italian flavors! Vegan, Gluten-Free Option.
The Spicy Sausage and Fennel Pasta is a cold-weather comfort food you won’t want to skip. Al dente pasta, plant-based Italian sausage, and sliced fennel are coated in a parmesan and Calabrian chili pasta sauce to deliver spicy, savory, and cheesy flavors in each bite. Unforgettable Italian flavors for only 30 minutes of work? Yes, please!
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Comfort Food with a Kick
Some people may think of Mac & Cheese as the ultimate comfort pasta, but for me it’s this Spicy Vegan Sausage and Fennel Pasta. This cozy recipe is basically a combination of all of my favorites – hearty Italian sausage crumbles, sweet and peppery fennel, Calabrian chili paste, parmesan, and chewy pasta.
Best of all, you only need 30 minutes and a simple mix of fresh and Italian pantry staple ingredients to put it together! With exciting spicy flavors and a good amount of plant protein in each bowl, I won’t be surprised if you keep this recipe on repeat all winter long.
Ingredients for Sausage Fennel Pasta
You need 10-ish fresh, bold, and pantry staple ingredients to transform this pasta recipe into an unforgettable comfort food:
- Pasta: anything goes! I used orecchiette pasta because it soaks up the spicy sauce really well, but you can swap it for penne, rigatoni, spaghetti, etc.
- Vegan Italian Sausage: opt for a brand of vegan sausage that crumbles so you get a little bit in every bite. If all you can find are sausages that don’t crumble, dice them finely before adding them to the pan.
- Fennel: fennel and spicy sausages (regular or vegan!) are a classic pairing because the unique anise-like flavor balances the bold heat so well. When shopping, look for a firm, white, and blemish-free fennel bulb with fresh, green fronds.
- Calabrian Chili Paste: this spicy Italian condiment adds a rich, fiery depth of flavor to the pasta sauce. It’s available at most major grocery stores but if you can’t find it, substitute another spicy chili paste like harissa or swap it for 1 extra tablespoon of tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon of dried red chili flakes.
- Parmesan Cheese: pick up a brand of vegan parmesan that will melt into the pasta sauce, like Violife dairy-free parmesan.
How to Make Spicy Sausage and Fennel Pasta
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain the rest and set the pasta aside.
- Sauté the vegan sausage crumbles in a medium pan until crispy. Set aside.
- Add the onion and fennel to the empty pan and sauté until tender. Stir in the chili paste, tomato paste, and garlic.
- Deglaze the pan with half of the reserved pasta water and heat to a simmer until it’s reduced by half. Lower the heat and stir in the vegan parmesan until it melts and the sauce is thick.
- Add the cooked pasta and sausage to the pan, mix to coat in the sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the warm pasta in bowls with parsley and parmesan cheese on top.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- How to prepare and slice fennel: Fennel is grown directly in soil and tends to trap dirt in its many layers, so give it a good wash before you start cooking. Cut off the stocks and fronds (save them for this Fennel Salad or this Homemade Vegetable Broth if you’d like), rinse the bulb under running water, and rub away the dirt. After it’s washed, slice the bulb in half lengthwise and cut out the core from each half. Lay each half flat side down and cut into thin slices with a knife or mandoline.
- Save that pasta water! The reserved pasta cooking water gives the pasta sauce a luxurious consistency, while its starches help the sauce cling to the cooked pasta. Save 1 cup of pasta water before draining the rest, use 1/2 cup to make the sauce, and add a few extra splashes as needed to thin the consistency.
Serving Suggestions
This rich and hearty pasta is a must-make when you’re craving a filling cold-weather dinner. You can temper the spicy flavors by pairing each bowl with a light and refreshing side, like this Everyday Kale Salad, this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad, or these Garlic Green Beans. Round out the meal with a thick and crusty slice of this Sun-Dried Tomato Bread or vegan garlic bread, and you’ll surely be left in a comfort food coma.
If you’re looking for more comforting vegan pasta dinners, you’ll also love this Creamy Mushroom Leek Pasta, this Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff, and this Vegan Buffalo Ranch Pasta!
Or, if you have leftover fennel, enjoy it in this Shaved Fennel Salad or this Roasted Beet Salad with Fennel!
How to Store Leftover Sausage Fennel Pasta
Once it’s cooled to room temperature, transfer the leftover pasta to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Before serving, warm the leftovers in a saucepan over medium heat with a splash of water or vegetable broth to help loosen the sauce. Or, quickly reheat the leftovers for 1 to 2 minutes in the microwave.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: To make this fennel and sausage pasta gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free vegan sausage.
- Add More Vegetables: Toss a handful of chopped kale or baby spinach into the sauce when you add the vegan parmesan cheese. Or, cook diced bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, or cherry tomatoes alongside the aromatics.
- Parmesan Substitute: The parmesan can be replaced with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Add it to the pan with the garlic during step 3 of the recipe directions.
Recipe FAQs
Beyond Meat Italian sausages are soft, crumble really well, and have a great spicy-ish flavor. Impossible, Simple Truth, High Peaks, Field Roast, and Jack & Annie’s are also great options. Almost all of these brands are available in the refrigerated section of most well-stocked grocery stores.
The Italian sausage and Calabrian chili paste give this dish a mild to medium level of heat. There’s a noticeable bite, but it won’t set your mouth on fire.
You can replace the fennel with two sliced leeks (white and light green parts only) or a large sliced yellow onion.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Spicy Sausage and Fennel Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 8 ounces pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 links vegan Italian sausage, sliced*
- 1/2 yellow onion fine dice
- 1 large bulb fennel thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
- 3-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 tablespoons calabrian chili paste*
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated; I used dairy-free
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley chopped; for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce, then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Cook the Sausage: In the meantime warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and use a spatula to break it into large crumbles. Sauté until the edges are crispy, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Aromatics: Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and warm to medium heat. Add the onion and fennel to the pan and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is tender. Add the chili paste, tomato paste, and garlic; sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
- Saucy: Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes,until the sauce is reduced by about half. Reduce the heat to low and add in the parmesan. Mix well, until the cheese has melted and a thick sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with ~2 tablespoon increments of reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Combine: Add the drained pasta and cooked sausage to the pan. Mix well until everything is evenly coated in sauce, then season with pepper and salt to taste if desired.
- Serve & Store: Serve warm, topped with parsley and additional parmesan, or as desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight refrigerator in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta and gluten-free sausage.
- Sausage: I like to use Beyond Meat’s sausage in this recipe which is soft and crumbles well; you can also use a similar soft faux sausage product from another brand. If your plant-based sausage does not crumble I recommend dicing it before adding to the pan instead of slicing it.
- Calabrian Chili Paste: This Italian pepper & olive oil paste has a delicious spicy and umami-rich flavor! You can swap it out for harissa paste for a different (but still delicious!) flavor, or swap it for 1 extra tablespoon of tomato paste and 1/2 teaspoon of dried red chili flakes.
- Parmesan: I prefer to use the Violife parmesan block, which is dairy free. You can replace the parmesan with 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast; add it to the aromatics with the garlic in step 3.
- Add Greens: If you’d like you can toss in 1-2 handfuls of chopped kale or baby spinach in step 4; simmer until the greens are tender, then proceed with the recipe as written.
Nutrition
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Wowzers this is delicious and I almost didn’t make it because I’m not crazy about fennel but this dish could make me pray to the fennel gods. As per the recipe notes, I used harissa instead of the other paste and nooch in place of parmesan and if this is the highlight of my week I’m totally ok with that.
Haha thank you so much Lyndsey! I hope your week continues to be excellent