Ingredients for 4 servings:

300g penne

8 pork bangers

1 onion – peel & chop finely

2 sticks celery – chop finely

1 carrot – peel & grate finely

2 cloves garlic – peel, grate finely & chop

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 sachet tomato paste

4 tomatoes – dice (½ cm)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

10g fresh basil – remove leaves

olive oil (from your pantry)

salt & pepper (from your pantry)

Preparation:

Boil the kettle. Prepare all ingredients as indicated above.

Step 1: Penne

Place a pot on medium-high heat and add the boiling water. When the water is at a rolling boil, add the penne and cook for 10 minutes. You want it al dente, which is slightly chewy and translucent. Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep it from sticking together.

Step 2: Meatballs

Squeeze out the mince from the pork bangers (sausages) and roll them into little meatballs (3 per banger). Place a pan on medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the meatballs and brown for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan to make sure they brown evenly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Step 3: Sauce

Using the same pan, turn the heat down to medium-high. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook for 5 minutes.

Then add the garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute before adding tomatoes and water (2 cups for 4; 1 cup for 2) and season with salt and pepper.

Let it simmer (gently boil) for 4 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. Add the meatballs back into the pan with balsamic vinegar and cook for 8-10 minutes until they’re cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

Chop the basil finely, add with the penne and mix through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4:

Serve the saucy pasta and meatballs with a drizzle of olive oil.

Curated by Nuraan Manuels @nurie_phoodie on IG.

Saucy Sausage Penne