LunaCafe » Pasta | Rice | Grains

Farro, Wild Mushroom, Fingerling Potato & Kale Risotto (Farrotto)

Susan S. Bradley — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:47:22 +0000

Farro has taken Portland, Oregon by storm. I see it on menus all over town:

Aviary: Hoisin-Glazed Short Rib with Farro, Turnips & Yuzu Pickles.
Bluehour: Farro Risotto with Pumpkin, Wild Mushrooms & Brussels Sprouts.
Clarklewis: Kingfisher Salad with Bluebird Farm Farro, Hedgehog Mushrooms, Persephone Cipollini & Whole Mustard Vinaigrette.
Clyde Common: Roasted Duck with Farro, Pomegranate, Swiss Chard, & Blood Orange.
Cocotte: Pullet En Cocotte with Farro, Winter Vegetables, Poached Farm Egg & Sherry Jus.
DOC: Frittata with Farro, Broccoli, Turnip, Tahonohono & Hedgehog.
Laurelhurst Market: Bluebird Grains Emmer Farro with Fennel & Crème Fraiche.
Nel Centro: Braised Lamb Shank with Butternut Squash & Black Kale Farro.
Roost: Braised Pork with Bacon Farro, Turnips and Greens.
Wildwood: Toasted Farro & Baby Turnip Stuffed Cabbage.

I’m a little late to the party, this being only my third farro post to date, but I plan to make up for it in the months ahead. We have fallen in love with the nutty flavor and chewy texture of this crazy-good-for-you grain, and like the rest of Portland at the moment, can’t seem to get enough of it.

Most sources say that farro (pronounced FAHR-oh) is an ancient type of wheat. But you may also find sources that say that farro is not wheat at all. And this is only the beginning of the confusion I encountered on the web with a search on the words farro and spelt. Holy moly!

However, everyone seems to agree that farro contains twice the protein and fiber of modern (common) wheat, making it the new darling of vegetarians and nutritionists alike.

The terms farro and spelt are often used interchangeably, and although they belong to the same genus, they are different species. With widespread confusion over naming, it can be difficult or impossible to tell which type of whole wheat berry any package or bin actually contains.

My research revealed the following clear distinctions between the three types of ancient wheat berries (as opposed to modern/common wheat berries). When in doubt, look for the name of the genus and species (italicized below) on the packaging.

einkorn wheat / farro piccolo / little farro (Triticum monococcum)
emmer wheat / farro medio / true farro (Triticum dicoccum)
spelt wheat / farro grande / spelt / false farro (Triticum spelta)

Einkorn wheat berries (farro piccolo) boost several distinctions. They are the smallest grain in the farro classification. They are also the oldest and rarest of Italian cultivated grains, dating back at least 10,000 years. Anson Mills claims that it is the only grower of einkorn wheat in the United States. Light in color and character, einkorn wheat berries are a good summer grain. They cook quickly and have a flavor somewhat lighter than emmer wheat berries. Imported einkorn wheat berries are often mislabeled as true farro, which is another name for emmer wheat berries. You should be able to distinguish einkorn wheat berries because of their markedly smaller size.

Emmer wheat berries are the queen of ancient wheat and are the most common variety grown in Italy today. They are prized for their full nutty flavor and delightfully chewy texture. It is very difficult to tell them apart visually from spelt or common wheat berries.

Spelt wheat berries seem to be the least admired of the three types of farro berries, and I have not cooked with them enough to give you my two cents worth. On the web, there are cooks aplenty bemoaning the fact that their spelt berries never softened sufficiently to eat. However, spelt is highly nutritious and prized by whole grain bakers in its flour form.

And then we also have the following two wheat berries, which have a similar flavor and texture profile as farro:

common wheat / cultivated wheat (Triticum aestivum)
khorasan wheat / Kamut / (Triticum turanicum)

Perhaps the most important thing for the cook to note is that each of these wheat berries requires slightly different preparation and cooking time, and authoritative sources give conflicting information. For best results, read and follow the preparation directions on the package.

Depending on the recipe, you may be able to substitute einkorn wheat berries, spelt wheat berries, common wheat berries, or Kamut for emmer wheat berries, but BE AWARE that cooking time, liquid absorption rate, texture, and flavor will vary (perhaps considerably) from one to the other.

This said, I rely almost solely on Bluebird Grain Farms Emmer Farro for predictable and perfect results every time. It is grown by Brooke and Sam Lucy on their farm in Washington’s Methow Valley. They have developed their own process for removing the husk from the grain, which keeps the integrity and nutrition value of the grain intact. Northwest chefs are enamored with this grain and often prefer it over farro that is imported from Italy.

Preparing Farro (All Types)

For best results, cover farro with cold water, cover with plastic rap or a lid, and let hydrate 4 to 24 hours. After soaking, drain, rinse, cover with fresh water (or stock), and simmer for 30-60 minutes, until tender and pleasantly chewy. The hydrated berries will plump to twice their original size.

Three cups of dry farro will yield about 7½ cups of cooked grain.

You can freeze prepared berries in 2-cup increments for later use. This process works equally well for common wheat berries and kamut.

Farro, Wild Mushroom, Fingerling Potato & Kale Risotto (Farrotto)

What a marvelous flavor and texture juxtaposition this is: chewy, velvety, creamy, crunchy, earthy, cheesy, and delicious. Farrotto, you are my new whole grain love!

Unlike Arborio rice, farro releases only a small amount of starch when cooked and never becomes gummy. Thus you don’t have to stir Farrotto constantly, as you do risotto.

It also retains a tender, distinct bite, even when not served immediately.

2 cups soaked emmer farro (from 1½ cups dry emmer farro)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped leek (white and pale green portion only)
2 large cloves peeled garlic, pressed or minced

½ cup dry white wine
3-4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

8 ounces crimini, shiitake, oyster or other wild mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
12 ounces tiny fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
large handful lacinato kale, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste

Finishing
¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
freshly grated black pepper

Put farro in a large mixing bowl and cover with cold water. Let hydrate for 6-24 hours. Drain and measure out 2 cups.
In a large sauté pan with a tight fitting lid, melt 3 tablespoons butter, and cook the leeks and garlic until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add white wine, and reduce by half.
Add the farro and 2 cups stock. Cover and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes, until most of the stock is gone, and the farro is chewable. (Don’t worry about taking the farro too far here; it retains its chewiness even with prolonged cooking.)
Add the mushrooms, potatoes, and 1 cup additional stock. Cover and cook at a lively simmer for about 10 minutes, until veggies are just tender. If the liquid evaporates before the potatoes are tender, add additional stock in ½ cup increments.
Add the kale and rosemary, and stir to wilt the kale.
If necessary, simmer rapidly to reduce the liquid somewhat. (Don’t reduce too much. You don’t want a dry risotto. The cheese will thicken the remaining liquid considerably.)
Remove from the heat, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Swirl it into the liquid, to emulsify rather than melt it.
Add the cheeses, toss, and then add salt to taste.
Serve immediately with additional cheese and freshly grated black pepper.

LunaCafe Farro & Kamut Recipes

More Farro Recipes

Resources

Suppliers

Anson Mills (farro piccolo (einkorn) and slow-roasted farro grande [spelt])
Bluebird Grain Farms (emmer farro)
Bob’s Red Mill (organic Kamut berries)
Bob’s Red Mill (whole grain spelt berries)
ChefShop (Eastern Washington Lentz Farms organic emmer farro)

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The Inestimable Vegetable Rice Tian

Susan S. Bradley — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:45:29 +0000

A “tian” refers to a large number of French layered vegetable dishes, some of which include rice and a binder of some sort (as typified by Julia Child’s Tian de Courgettes au Riz, featured in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2).

I enjoy both styles but admit a particular fondness for the rich creaminess of the latter. It’s simple home cooking at its delicious best, and it lends itself to endless seasonal variation.

The following concept recipe can be interpreted with any number of different vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, fennel, celery, bell peppers, summer squash, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkin, carrots, parsnips, or spinach.

It provides a great vehicle for using leftover raw vegetables, such as broccoli or celery stalks combined with a few carrots. It’s also great with onions only and fabulous with leeks.

For a one-dish meal, diced, cooked ham, chicken, shrimp, crab, prosciutto, or bacon can be added, along with a little more cheese.

Fennel, Bell Pepper, & Summer Squash Creamy Rice Tian

…
In this homey, satisfying tian, rice is partially cooked, enrobed in a creamy white sauce (Béchamel), combined with partially cooked veggies and Parmesan, and then baked until bubbly. Serve on its own for a simple supper, with crusty bread alongside.

Rice
½ cup raw, long-grain white rice

Béchamel Sauce
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup chicken or vegetable stock
¾ cup milk
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Veggies
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds fresh vegetables, such as:

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
1 small summer squash, trimmed and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 poblano chile, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and chopped (use disposable gloves)
1 serrano chile, stemmed, ribbed, seeded, and chopped (use disposable gloves)
1 handful baby spinach

Finishing
½ cup grated Parmesan
fine sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus additional for the baking dish

To prepare the rice, in a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil and add the rice. Simmer for 5 minutes exactly and drain. Reserve.
To make the Béchamel Sauce, in a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and stir in the flour. Cook, whisking continuously, for 2 minutes. Gradually pour in the stock and milk. Bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce, whisking all the while. Remove from the heat, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve.
To prepare the veggies, in a large sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter, and sauté the onions (or shallots or leeks) and garlic until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining veggies and cook for 3-5 minutes, until still crisp but softening slightly.
To finish, in a large mixing bowl, combine the rice, sauce, veggies, and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Butter a 6-cup baking dish or soufflé mold. Turn the mixture into the mold and dot the top with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
Bake at 425° for 20-30 minutes, until the tian is bubbling and the top is browned. The rice should absorb all the liquid. Serve hot.

Serves 6.

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Risotto of Sweet Corn with Corn Coulis, Zucchini, Chevre & Green Chile Oil

Susan S. Bradley — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 02:53:25 +0000

If there is an easier, quicker, more elegant, more economical, more versatile, more satisfying dish in the world than risotto, I can’t think of what it might be.

As long as you keep premium-quality risotto rice on hand, you will certainly have something in the frig to complete the dish. That something can be almost any combination of fresh or cooked vegetables, meats, seafood, fresh herbs, and cheese.

At the very simplest end of the spectrum, however, you need nothing more than butter, rice, stock, a small amount of grated Parmesan, and salt. If you want to gild the lily, there is plenty of latitude for that as well, to which the recipe below attests.

But before diving in, here’s a review of time-honored tips and tricks that will ensure the best risotto ever.

Tips & Tricks for the Best Risotto

Use short-grain, high-starch rice, such as Italian arborio superfino, carnaroli, or vialone nana. These varieties are somewhat sticky when cooked. Carnaroli is the favorite risotto rice of many chefs. It is the stickiest of the three, absorbs a lot of liquid, does not overcook quickly, and produces a creamy, flowing risotto.
Use a double rich or partially reduced chicken or vegetable stock. The stock is the flavor carrier for this dish. It must taste superb on its own.
Use a dry white wine as the first liquid addition. It adds acidity to balance the rich, creaminess of the risotto, and depth as well. The alcohol will cook off in minutes when you add the wine to a very hot pan. However, if you are alcohol intolerant, consider adding a tablespoon or so of lemon juice at the completion of the risotto. It adds a lively note.
The amount of liquid specified for risotto is always variable. Have extra on hand, in case the rice demands it.
Allow 5 minutes to toast the exterior on the rice in the initial fat. If the exterior of each rice kernel is not sealed, the risotto will glom together in a sticky mass.
Don’t work too hard. For the first 15 minutes or so of the cooking time, you will need to stir the pan only occasionally with a flat edged wooden spoon. The goal is simply to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan and to check the amount of liquid remaining. After 15 minutes, stir almost continuously (but leisurely) to encourage the rice kernels to release some of their starch into the liquid, creating a creamy sauce in the process.

Don’t walk away from the risotto during the final 10-15 minutes of cooking. It will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn without frequent additions of liquid.
Although you will find advice to the contrary, in my tests, it made no difference whether the stock was hot, warm, or room temperature. The pan is very hot and the amount of stock you add at any one time is small, thus the stock heats almost instantly upon hitting the hot pan and rice.
Always add the stock in ½-cup increments, allowing rice to absorb nearly all of it before adding the next amount. If you are new to making risotto, add ¼ cup increments during the final 10-15 minutes, to avoid inadvertently flooding the rice with liquid just as it completes cooking.
Cook the rice slowing and steadily, taking a full 20-30 minutes in the process. The liquid should be gently bubbling at all times.
Test for doneness frequently during the final 10 minutes of cooking. When fully cooked, the rice will be doubled in size, chewy, and slightly firm at the center. Al dente is the term most often used to describe the desired texture.

For perfect results, stop cooking the rice while it is still firm to the tooth and a little soupy. The rice will finish cooking during the 3-5 minutes it takes you to add the cheese and butter and serve.
Always taste and season the risotto before serving. It will need salt.
Adding cheese and either butter or olive oil at the very end enhances the creaminess of the risotto.
Risotto should be creamy and very moist. It should not hold its shape in a mound on the plate, but spread out somewhat. The final addition of cheese to the risotto thickens it considerably, thus the risotto must be on the loose side before the addition of the cheese to compensate.
Because the risotto should spread out on the plate, it is most attractive served in a pasta-type bowl with a small indent and wide rim. The bowl-like indent contains the rice in a definite shape, while the wide rim provides drama for the simple dish.

Now for the basic process. Master these easy steps and basic proportions, and you can create hundreds of different risottos, all without a recipe.

Basic Risotto Process

When you understand the basic risotto process, you can create endless riffs with ingredients you happen to have on hand.

In a large saute pan, saute chopped onion, shallots, or leeks in butter until softened but not browned.
Add short-grained rice, such as Arborio or Carnaroli, and stir to coat each grain with butter. Toast rice for 3-5 minutes without browning.
For the first 15 minutes, add liquid in ½-cup increments, maintaining a steady simmer and allowing rice to absorb each increment before adding the next. Stir periodically and leisurely, just to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
For the final 15 minutes, add liquid in ¼-cup increments, continuing to stir leisurely, but more continuously, which encourages the rice to release starch into the liquid. Regulate the heat to maintain a steady (not wild) simmer. Ideally, the risotto will be perfect (al dente) at the 30-minute mark. (If you cook it too quickly, it will be soft on the outside and chalky on the inside. If you cook it too slowly, it will be mushy.)
During the final 5 minutes of cooking, if desired, add cooked ingredients of choice 9or ingredients that will cook in under 5 minutes).
Add Parmesan and butter, and stir.
Immediately ladle risotto into warm serving bowls, and serve.

Basic Risotto Proportions

It doesn’t get much more basic than this: 2 tablespoons butter, 1 chopped onion, 2 cups risotto rice, 6-8 cups stock, ½ cup Parmesan, and salt to taste.

Using Leftover Risotto

I can’t image cooking only enough risotto for 2 servings, the usual number of people dining at our house. I love the leftovers as much as the original meal. The starchiness of risotto makes it the perfect choice for any number of fried goodies, such as Arancini di Riso (breaded, fried risotto cakes) and Riso al Salto (fried risotto balls). You can also add leftover risotto to a rice tian or quiche filling.

Risotto of Sweet Corn with Corn Coulis, Zucchini, Chevre & Green Chile Oil

This divine risotto is redolent with sweet corn, the result of using a creamy corn coulis as part of the liquid. Fresh corn and diced zucchini add textural interest, while a young chevre contributes depth and silkiness to the sauce. A finishing drizzle of Green Chile Oil provides color and flavor counterpoints.

Advance Prep: You can make the Green Chile Oil and Sweet Corn Coulis a day or two ahead if you like.

Green Chile Oil
1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, ribbed, and chopped (wear disposable gloves)
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, ribbed, and chopped (wear disposable gloves)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
½ cup chicken or vegetable stock (or water)
¼ cup cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil
fine sea salt, to taste

Sweet Corn Coulis
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, white and pale green portions only, chopped (Set aside ½ cup.)
4 ears fresh corn, shucked (3 cups kernels; reserve 1 cup for risotto)
2 cups corn kernels, from above
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
3/4 cup cream
fine sea salt, to taste

Stock
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
stripped, broken cobs from 4 ears of corn, from above

Risotto
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup chopped leeks, from above
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
2 cups Italian Carnaroli or Arborio rice
½ cup dry white wine, optional
4 cups reduced chicken or vegetable stock, from above (plus 1-2 cups more as needed)
1 cup corn kernels, from above
1 small zucchini, trimmed and diced
fine sea salt
freshly ground white pepper
½ cup fresh, creamy chevre
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

Garnish
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

To make the Green Chile Oil, in a small saucepan, add the chiles and stock. Cover and simmer just until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour off any remaining liquid, and add chiles to a processor bowl fitted with the steel knife. Add the garlic and pulse until fairly smooth. Add olive oil and process until smooth and well combined. Season to taste with salt. Reserve.
To make the Corn Coulis, hold the corn upright by the stem and steady the tip against a cutting board. Use a small paring knife to scrape the kernels from the cob with a downward motion. You should have about 3 cups of kernels. Set aside ½ cup of leeks. Reserve the corncobs.
In a medium saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and saute the remaining leeks and 2 cloves garlic until well softened but not browned.
Add 2 cups corn and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add cream and stir to combine
In a processor fitted with the steel knife, puree the coulis as smoothly as possible.
Pour the coulis into a triple mesh sieve set over a mixing bowl and force the liquid through the mesh using the back of a large spoon or a wooden pestle. Discard the roughage left in the sieve. Season the coulis to taste with salt. Reserve.
To infuse and reduce the stock, snap the stems off the corncobs and break each cob into 3-4 pieces.
Put the stock into a large saucepan and add the corncobs. Bring to a simmer and reduce by 1/3. You should have 4 cups of reduced stock. Remove from the heat.
To make the risotto, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed casserole or large saute pan. Add ½ cup reserved leeks and garlic, and saute over medium heat until tender but not browned.
Add the rice and stir to coat each grain with butter.
Over medium heat, add the wine, if using, and cook, stirring continuously, until nearly all has evaporated.
Begin adding the stock, 1/2 cup at a time, letting it nearly evaporate before adding more. The liquid should be simmering gently, not uproariously.
At about the 15 minute mark, when the rice is becoming tender but still quite firm at the center, begin adding the Corn Coulis, ½ cup at a time. Begin stirring continuously now, to encourage the rice to release some of its starch into the sauce.
Five minutes before the risotto is done, add the corn and zucchini, and stir in.
In a perfect world, the rice will be just right—tender but toothsome—as you add the last drop of coulis. However, if this is not the case, simply add more stock until the correct consistency is achieved. I prefer risotto to be on the saucy side, but you can decrease the amount of liquid by cooking a minute or two longer. The risotto should be fully cooked–tender with some bite–in 20-30 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Quickly stir in the chevre and parmesan.
Immediately ladle the risotto into warm serving bowls. Drizzle chile Oil over each serving and garnish with parsley and additional parmesan.

Serves 4-6.

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Strozzapreti with Spicy Italian Sausage, Broccolini & Garlic Crema

Susan S. Bradley — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 07:28:18 +0000

I know the first day of spring is just around the corner and Daylight Saving Time launches in the Pacific Northwest next week, but it’s still hanging in the low 40’s most days, so until the sun actually returns, creamy, rich pasta dishes are still keeping me warm.

And for whatever reason, I have a mad crush on strozzapreti (stroh-tzuh-PRAY-tee) lately, and it’s getting star billing in the OtherWorldly Kitchen. I even found this cool post at Y Len Ate that shows one way to shape fresh strozzapreti (twisted). And then another cool post at Eat with a Spoon that shows a very different shaping method (wrapped over a skewer). Both look wonderful.

I must say though that Marcella Hazan–yes, the Queen Mother of Italian cooking–noted on my Facebook page—yes, MY Facebook page–last week that the pasta shown in my photo of Pasta Carbonara Perfecta Mundo did not look like strozzapreti to her. She went on to say that strozzapreti are not tubular and that they should have a twist. All I can say is the imported package of dried pasta says strozzapreti and also, if you look VERY closely at that photo, you will see the pasta isn’t actually a closed tube. Nevertheless, I’m sure the dried variety pales in comparison to freshly made, so we must all learn to make fresh strozzapreti.

Searching for a way to appease my insatiable craving for pasta, I happened on a recipe yesterday that sounds wonderful and somewhat unusual. It’s from Joyce Goldstein’s cookbook, Back to Square One: Old-World Food in a New-World Kitchen, which I highly recommend. (Actually, I recommend anything that Ms. Goldstein writes. She’s a goddess in the kitchen.) The dish is titled, Penne with Sausage, Broccoli, Ricotta, and Toasted Breadcrumbs.

I intended to follow Ms. Goldstein’s lead, but the muse took over, and the final dish bears little resemblance to the original inspiration–except perhaps in one significant way. The recipe says to either crumble the sausage OR to shape it into little balls. Little balls! Why have I never thought of that? I knew immediately that little sausage balls would be so much better than crumbled sausage. I was salivating just thinking about it.

But when I got to the kitchen and stood before a pound of very sticky Italian pork sausage, shaping a hundred little balls suddenly lost all appeal. And I do mean ALL appeal. Instead, I ended up simply pinching bite-size pieces of sausage into the saute pan, which works nicely and is perhaps a little less time consuming. And although I love Ms. Goldstein’s idea of a tomato and ricotta sauce for the pasta, I had just scored a bundle of the most beautiful broccolini and wanted to make sure the color came through loud and clear. So the game plan switched to a garlic cream sauce.

And in case you are wondering why I am showing you yet another highly caloric, cream-laden pasta dish, all I can say is, hey, what about the broccolini?

Strozzapreti with Spicy Italian Sausage, Broccolini, & Garlic Crema

This pasta dish is so toothsome and delectable, you will be licking the pan to get every last drop of the addictive sauce. The secret is in letting the sausage and sauce flavors meld for awhile. That takes the flavor over the top.

Make Ahead: You can saute the sausage, make the Garlic Crèma, and grate the cheese a day or so in advance if you wish.

Sausage
½ pound spicy Italian sausage (remove casing from sausage links)
olive oil if needed

Garlic Crema
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, peeled and then pressed or minced
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, ground in a mortar and pestle
¼ cup chicken stock
¾ cup cream
¾ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
fine sea salt to taste

Broccolini
8 ounces broccolini (also called baby broccoli)

Pasta
½ pound dried strozzapreti, penne, or other short tubular pasta
2 tablespoons salt (for pasta boiling water)

Finishing
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
lots of freshly ground black pepper

To cook the sausage, pinch marble-size pieces into a large saute pan. Saute, turning frequently, until all pieces are lightly browned and fully cooked. The sausage should contain enough fat to adequately coat the pan, but if the pan becomes dry, add a drizzle of olive oil. Remove the saute pan from the heat, but keep warm at the back of the stove. (If made in advance, gently rewarm in a large saute pan.)
To make the Garlic Crema, in a medium saucepan, heat the oil, and saute the shallots, garlic, and fennel seeds until softened but not browned. Add the chicken stock and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese and stir to melt. Add the Garlic Crèma to the sausage in the saute pan and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and let the flavors meld. (If made in advance, add to the sausage and rewarm together.)
To cook the pasta, fill a large stockpot with cold water, add the salt, and bring to a full boil. Add pasta and cook for 7-10 minutes, until pasta is just tender. Remove pasta with a strainer and add to the sausage and Garlic Crèma in the saute pan. Set the saute pan over low heat and toss the ingredients together. Keep the pasta water boiling.
Add the broccolini to the boiling water and cook for just one minute. Drain and add to the pasta. Toss everything together.
Make sure everything is heated through, and then season to taste with salt.
Scoop the pasta onto a serving platter or into individual wide-rimmed pasta bowls, and garnish with the remaining parmesan, plus plenty of black pepper.
Serve immediately.

Serves 2-3.

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