Vegan Sausage & Fennel Pasta with Crushed Tomato Sauce

Servings: 5
Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This was a treat.  I had bought some Beyond Meat Spicy Italian Sausage (4 links to a pack) on sale.  I used 2 of the links for this delicious pasta and the other 2 links for Sausage Kale and Bean Soup and we have leftovers of both dishes, so this was a win-win. 

1 large fennel bulb
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, grated or minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 links of vegan sausage (7 to 8 oz or 200g, ideally spicy or Italian-flavored)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup nutritional yeast
12 ounces bucatini (or spaghetti or linguine)
1 28-ounce can best-quality whole peeled tomatoes 
4 cups baby spinach or kale, chopped 
2 large handfuls fresh basil, sliced (I used ¼ cup pesto.)
For serving: Fresh toasted garlic breadcrumbs (optional, but very nice)

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil for the pasta.
Slice off the fennel stalks and reserve any fronds for an optional garnish (roughly chop them).
With the fennel bulb, if the outer layer is very thick, remove it. Slice the bulb in half, lengthwise. Use a mandolin or sharp knife to thinly slice the fennel crosswise, as thinly as you can.
Meanwhile, heat the 3 TBSP olive oil over medium-high heat in a deep sauté pan. Once hot, add the fennel with a pinch of salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some edges start to brown.
While the fennel cooks, pour the canned tomatoes with their juices into a bowl. Crush them with your hands. Set aside. Also, crumble the sausage with your hands if you have time (if it doesn't crumble, slice it). Add the garlic to the fennel and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Now add the red pepper flakes and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds. Add the crumbled or sliced sausage into the pan. Break it up with a wooden spatula as it cooks, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and a bit crisp (the exact cook time will depend on the brand of sausage used). Add in the crushed tomatoes with juices, a generous amount of black pepper, and the nutritional yeast. Stir to coat and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. If desired, smash some of the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon from time to time. After you add the tomatoes and the pasta water is boiling, salt the water generously (about 1 ½ tablespoons kosher salt or 2 ½ to 3 teaspoons sea salt). Add the pasta and cook for the minimum amount of time for al dente pasta according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta but do not rinse it. Add the baby spinach to the tomato sauce and cook briefly until it just starts to wilt. Add in the hot cooked pasta plus ¾ cup to 1 cup of the pasta water. Turn the heat to medium-high and toss the pasta vigorously with tongs until it’s well coated in the sauce and is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more pasta water as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Off the heat, garnish with basil or parsley or pesto.  Top with breadcrumbs, if using.

Notes
I love this recipe with Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausage. Field Roast Italian sausage also works great.
My favorite canned tomatoes are from Bianco Dinapoli. I also like San Merican, Cento, Mutti, and Bello Organic.
Feel free to use a bit more spinach if you want, as it wilts down a lot. You can also use baby kale, just cook it a minute or so longer.

Nutritional Information: Calories (1 of 5 servings): 505 calories; Carbohydrates: 69g; Protein: 27g; Fat: 15g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Sodium: 358mg; Potassium: 1777mg; Fiber: 11g; Sugar: 4g; Vitamin A: 17891IU; Vitamin C: 60mg; Calcium: 250mg; Iron: 9mg