PORK AND FENNEL PASTA
This pork and fennel pasta is a gourmet alternative to spaghetti bolognese. Serve with a simple rocket salad and a generous dusting of parmesan.
Pork and fennel is such a great combination! However, if fennel isn’t to your liking, you could replace with dried sage instead.
This is a really easy weeknight meal. A great way to freshen up dinnertime without a lot of hard work.
It’s a good one to hide some extra veggies in too, if you’re feeding any fussy eaters!
PORK AND FENNEL PASTA
Pork and fennel is such a great combination! This pork and fennel pasta is a gourmet alternative to spaghetti bolognese. Serve with a simple rocket salad and a generous dusting of parmesan.
Ingredients
PASTA
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 carrot
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
- 550 g pork mince (1lb 3oz)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 400 g can Italian flavoured tomatoes (14oz)
- 1/4 cup water (60ml)
- 1 tsp chicken stock powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 300 g dried spaghetti (10.6oz)
- 1/3 cup lite cream cheese (80g)
TO SERVE
- 100 g Mediterranean or baby rocket (3.5oz)
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan (45g)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
PREPARE PASTA
Finely dice celery and carrot. Crush garlic. Heat oil in a large pot on medium-high. Add celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until starting to soften. Stir in garlic and fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute.
Add mince and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned all over. Stir in oregano and tomato paste. Add canned tomatoes, water, stock powder and sugar. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer while you cook the spaghetti.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes, or according to instructions on the packet, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
Stir cream cheese into pork ragù and season to taste with salt and pepper.
SERVE
Drain spaghetti well and divide between serving plates or bowls. Top with pork ragù and add rocket on the side. Sprinkle parmesan all over the top and drizzle with olive oil. Italian parsley makes a nice garnish if you have some on hand.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: A crisp Riesling.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use gluten-free stock powder and gluten-free spaghetti.
INGREDIENT SWAPS / NOTES: If you don’t like the flavour of fennel, you can omit it and replace with 1 teaspoon dried sage. Pork could be replaced with chicken mince. You can leave the cream cheese out if you prefer a more tomatoey pasta.
STORING AND REHEATING: Store individual portions of spaghetti and pork in containers in the fridge and reheat in the microwave. Rocket is best added fresh just before serving.
