Pasta with Sausage and Peas

I was at the farmer's market with friends this Saturday and there is a vendor there selling the best peas I've ever had! This dish has to be a top favorite in the catalog of pasta dishes in my collection. This recipe comes from my great grandmother, Nunzia (whom I never knew, but know well in stories). This is a simple dish, passed down through the generations. The fennel is the key ingredient, in my opinion. It picks up the flavor in the sweet sausage and gives a naturally sweeter taste to the sauce.



For the sauce:
1lb sweet Italian sausage
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp
1 bulb of fennel, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 32 oz can crushed tomato's
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 c fresh peas
a generous handful of fresh basil


Heat a skillet over med-high heat and add 1 tsp olive oil just to coat the bottom of the pan. Remove sausage from casing and cook until browned. Set aside.


Heat another skillet over med heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add onions, fennel and garlic and saute for 7-10 minutes or until translucent. Add tomato paste and saute another 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, and the can of crushed tomato's. Stir well and cook on low simmer for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally. During the last 5 minutes, add your fresh peas. Top with fresh basil (Some cut, I rip mine for the rustic feel) and serve over cooked pasta.



***Cooks note: I always taste as I go, especially with sauces. If it's still a little tangy, add a swirl of olive oil and let simmer a bit longer. Feel free to use salt and pepper, but do it intermittently and not a huge amount all at once. ***