Pasta with Sausage and Arugula

This is a delightful and simple dish to prepare. It's essentially a sheet pan dinner with pasta added at the end. My favorites: hot Italian sausage (oh, how I love thee), arugula (best lettuce ever), fennel (the licorice vegetable) and semolina pasta (the real chew). Hats off to Anna Stockwell for a terrific, weeknight dinner recipe!


Ingredients 
2 small red onions, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
1 fennel bulb, sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper
16 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
12 ounces gemelli pasta
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 cups baby arugula
Finely grated Parmesan


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Toss onions, fennel, and 2 tablespoons 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.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain.
3. Combine vegetables, sausage, and pasta in a large bowl. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining 4 tablespoons of oil and toss to coat, until sauce comes together and coats pasta. Toss in arugula. Divide pasta among plates and top with Parmesan. Season with more salt and pepper. Serve.

Wine pairing: Chianti Classico

Grogs and Goldie, 1956