Fennel and Sausage Pasta Salad

Author: Leanne Vogel

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4 servings

Setting the stage for Fall, this gluten-free pasta salad is bursting with the seasonal flavor of fennel and guarantees to have a bit of meat in every bite!

Ingredients

Salad:

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 bulb fennel, sliced
½ yellow onion, diced
2 cooked lean gluten-free chicken sausages, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
200 grams (2 cups) DeLallo brown rice fusilli pasta
¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons gluten-free Dijon mustard
Zest from half a lemon
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch crushed red pepper

Instructions

Place fennel seeds in a large saucepan with 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes until toasted, rotating with a wooden spoon every 20 seconds.
Add sliced fennel and onion. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, rotating every 2 minutes. Add sliced sausage and remove from heat. Set aside.
Meanwhile, fill a medium-sized saucepan with water, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add ¼ teaspoon of salt and fussili pasta. Cover and bring back to a boil, then remove cover and cook for 6 minutes, al dente. Strain and rinse pasta. Set aside to cool.
Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until oil is emulsified.
Place cooked fennel, pasta and dressing in a large bowl and stir to coat. Add in chopped parsley and serve.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

View nutrition info

Recipe by Healthful Pursuit at https://www.healthfulpursuit.com/2012/09/fennel-and-sausage-pasta-salad/