Jamie Oliver's Sausage Pappardelle

Instructions

Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil. Cut the lasagne sheets lengthways into 1 1/4-inch (3-cm) strips to make pappardelle.

Peel and finely slice the garlic. Finely chop the top leafy half of the parsley, then the stalks, keeping them separate.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, drizzle in the olive oil, then squeeze the sausage meat out of the skin into the skillet, breaking it up with your spoon (if using a veggie sausage, crumble or slice).

Cook the sausage, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, parsley stalks, and fennel seeds, and cook until lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Watch closely and reduce the heat if necessary, as the garlic may begin to brown quickly.

Pour in the red wine and let it simmer until almost evaporated.

Stir in the passata and add the pasta to the skillet.

Carefully pour in enough boiling water to just cover the pasta, about 1 1/4 cups (296 ml). Let it bubble away, stirring regularly until the pasta has absorbed most of the water and you've got a nice rich sauce, 4 to 5 minutes. Loosen with an extra splash of water, if needed.

Turn the heat off, stir in the parsley leaves, then season with salt and pepper to perfection. Finish with a grating of Parmesan and a kiss of extravirgin olive oil, if you like.

Entree