Rigatoni with Sausage and Fennel

 

 

I always get a big belly chuckle when I see an Ina Garten recipe. I am compelled to stop and sing "Ina Garten da Vida". This will give away my age, for "Inna Gadda da Vida" is an ancient hit from the group, Iron Butterfly. I was 16 when it was released in the summer of 1968. It was so different from any other song I had ever heard. It is generally regarded as the first "heavy metal" rock song ever made and introduced a whole new genre to popular music. It sold over 30 million records worldwide....and was the number one selling album in 1969. It outsold every record in the history of recorded music to that time.

The song was written by Iron Butterfly vocalist Brian Ingle and was originally titled "In the Garden of Eden". Drummer Ron Bushy kept track of the group's recordings and wrote it down as "Inna Gada da Vida" because he could not understand the words that Brian was singing. The record company kept the name because they thought it sounded exotic.

Back in the late 60's, many of the rock songs were longer as they included instrumental solos, typically done by the lead guitarist. Iron Butterfly turned the world upside down by having an extended drum solo in the middle of the song. The song clocked in at 17 minutes long, so you would never hear it on the top 40 stations in Minneapolis in 1968. 

For that, you had to tune in to 92.5 on your FM dial to KQRS, a station which featured long format rock 'n' roll. I loved long format rock 'n' roll and got a job as a disc jockey hosting that format at KSTC while attending the College of St. Thomas my freshman and sophomore year (1970 and 1971). My DJ name was Christian Faust. My boss told me I had the perfect face for radio. My sign-on song every Wednesday night at 6 pm was Hush by Deep Purple and I signed off at midnight with a Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum. And I played Inna Gadda da Vida with great frequency. No better time for rock music than late 60's and early 70's.

My high school buddy, Steve Anderson, and I went to see them in concert in 1968 at the old Minneapolis Convention Center for $3 a ticket. I recall that I wore yellow polyester bell bottoms with a wide-collared purple shirt...portending the very birth of the fashion icon that I have become today. But that is another story for another time.

So that is why I always have to sing "Ina Garten da Vida" every time I see her name. She is one of my very favorite cooks and Becky and I have never been disappointed in a single recipe she has published. This classic Italian recipe is from her 2016 cookbook dedicated to her husband, "Cooking for Jeffrey". It is an incredible melding of flavors and your dinner guests will be absolutely delighted with this culinary trip through The Ina Garten of Eden.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 fennel bulb, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1-1/2 pounds bulk hot Italian sausage

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup heavy cream

2/3 cup half & half

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound rigatoni

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add fennel and onion and saute for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add sausage and cook for 7 minutes, crumbling it with a fork until nicely browned. Add garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Pour in wine and bring to a boil, then add heavy cream, half & half and tomato paste. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until sauce has thickened.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons of salt and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce, stirring to coat the pasta. Cook for 5 minutes over low heat to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce. Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Serve in shallow bowls with remaining Parmesan on the side.

Wine pairing: Chianti