There are several types of dishes made with sausage and fennel, from stuffing to baked pasta dishes. Ziti and cannelloni are also commonly prepared with sausage and fennel and an Old World favorite, ravioli stuffed with the spiced sausage, is often served with a hearty tomato sauce. Italian dishes are the most common to use with a sausage and fennel combination, with meals ranging from spaghetti to pizza and even risotto being flavored with the sweet spice and pork combination.
Many recipes for sausage and fennel stuffing can be used for a variety of meats, from poultry to pork chops. The mixture of the sweet fennel spice with the pork sausage adds a distinctively flavorful touch to both the stuffing as well as the meat. Some versions of the stuffing are meant to be served on the side and are prepared in a baking dish outside of the main dish meat.
Italian dishes, such as baked ziti, are often created with sausage and fennel to provide an authentic taste of Italy in the dish. The sausage can be crumbled, cooked and added into the sauce, or as in the case of cannelloni, stuffed into a pasta shell and served as a main dish with either a tomato sauce or under a blanket of melted cheese. Other dishes featuring sausage and fennel are sausage peppers and onions seasoned with fennel and linguine with sausage. Peppers, leeks and fennel also flavor the main course dish.
Peas and sausage are often flavored with fennel to produce a tasty side dish and risotto can be served with the meat and sweet spice to provide a lunch or dinner dish. The combination of sausage with fennel can also be used as a breakfast side dish and goes well with eggs and potatoes. Sausage and spring vegetables can be made by combining the pork and fennel with garden vegetables to create a summertime main dish that is light and flavorful. The recipe can be used with frozen vegetables to allow a wintertime dish that offers a taste of summertime.
The relatively strong spice of the sausage and fennel adds a zest to commonly mild foods, such as potatoes, corn and carrots. The spicy meat also adds a unique flavor to pizza. Fennel sausage is also eaten braised or grilled and served on a roll both alone and accompanied by sauerkraut. This type of hand-held cuisine can be topped with ketchup, mustard or any variety of condiments as a meal on the go.
