Fennel and Sausage Pasta Salad

August 23, 2012 by Leanne Vogel December 4, 2015

Setting the stage for Fall, this gluten-free pasta salad is bursting with the seasonal flavor of fennel and guarantees to have a bit of meat in every bite!

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 bulb fennel, sliced
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• 2 cooked lean gluten-free chicken sausages, sliced into ¼-inch thick rounds
• 200 grams (2 cups) DeLallo brown rice fusilli pasta
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free Dijon mustard
• Zest from half a lemon
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Pinch crushed red pepper

Instructions

1. Place fennel seeds in a large saucepan with 1 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes until toasted, rotating with a wooden spoon every 20 seconds.
2. Add sliced fennel and onion. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, rotating every 2 minutes. Add sliced sausage and remove from heat. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, fill a medium-sized saucepan with water, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add ¼ teaspoon of salt and fussili pasta. Cover and bring back to a boil, then remove cover and cook for 6 minutes, al dente. Strain and rinse pasta. Set aside to cool.
4. Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds, until oil is emulsified.
5. Place cooked fennel, pasta and dressing in a large bowl and stir to coat. Add in chopped parsley and serve.
6. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Information Per Serving