I slightly adapted this recipe from Fine Cooking.

I'm in love with fennel and I never even knew it! If you can get your hands on Pecorino, please give it a try in this recipe. I used a fairly young Pecorino with a mild flavor. Otherwise, go with Parmesan but be careful of the saltiness! I bet Provolone would be great too!

ENJOY!

Penne with sausage, fennel and pecorino

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Serves	4
Prep time	10 minutes
Cook time	30 minutes
Total time	40 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot
Brought to you by	The Recipe Wench - www.therecipewench.com
Slightly adapted from recipe on	Fine Cooking

Fresh fennel along with the fennel seed in the spicy Italian sausage are a delicious addition to this pasta. Pecorino cheese gives this pasta dish an extra boost. This is an easy dish to whip up with unique flavors. Great for fall!

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Pound Italian sausage (I prefer the spicy version)
1 Medium onion (finely diced)
1 Small fennel bulb (halved, cored and thinly sliced)
1 Tablespoon dried sage
1 Cup chicken broth
1 Package penne
1 Cup (+more for serving) Pecorino cheese (grated)
½ Cup heavy cream (optional)
black pepper

Directions

Step 1
Put large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil.
Step 2
While water is heating, place 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Brown sausage, drain and set aside.
Step 3
To the skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, brown the onions. When onions are browned, stir in the fennel, sage and a little salt. Lower heat and cook until fennel is softened.
Step 4
Add the sausage and chicken broth and simmer until heated through.
Step 5
Add pasta to boiling and salted water. Cook until al dente. Drain, reserving approx. ½ cup of the pasta water.
Step 6
Return drained pasta to pot over medium-high heat. Stir in sausage mixture until well combined. If you want your "sauce" a little creamy, add the heavy cream at this point. Remove from heat and add pecorino and black pepper. Use the reserved pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce to your preference.
Step 7
To serve, sprinkle with additional cheese.