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Pasta With Sausage and Arugula

4.9

(25)

Gemelli pasta tossed with caramelized red onion and arugula on ceramic plate.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell

Arugula is one of those rare salad greens we can also get down with hot, like when it’s tossed with pasta, piled on top of pizza, or scattered into stew. Be sure to keep a box of it in the fridge all winter long.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

2 small red onions, sliced into 1/2"-thick wedges
1 fennel bulb, sliced into 1/2"-thick wedges
6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
8 oz. hot or sweet Italian sausage (about 2 links), casings removed
10 oz. gemelli, casarecce, or other medium pasta
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
6 cups baby arugula
Finely grated Parmesan (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss onions, fennel, and 2 Tbsp. oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Spread out into a single layer. Pinch sausage into small pieces and scatter around onions and fennel. Roast until vegetables and sausage are cooked through and well browned, 25–30 minutes.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

    Step 3

    Combine vegetables, sausage, and pasta in a large bowl. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining 4 Tbsp. oil, and 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid and toss to coat, adding more pasta cooking liquid if needed, until sauce comes together and coats pasta. Toss in arugula.

    Step 4

    Divide pasta among plates and top with Parmesan. Season with more salt and pepper.

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