Proper Blokes' Sausage Fusilli

This is a great Jamie Oliver recipe we've made a few times with outstanding results. This is classic Jamie, simple and gutsy, with a good bit of spice thrown in. No precision to it at all and it only takes 20 minutes or so to throw together.

We had it with a superior Ruffino Chianti Superiore 2007. We're familiar with the Ruffino label, and have been quite happy with it in the past, but this was a cut above any we've tried. It has some nice, bold fruit running through it to counteract the spiciness of the pasta. Couldn't have been happier with this meal!

2.5 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 red chili, dried, crushed
olive oil
1 ⅓ pounds sausages, Italian and/or Cumberland (good-quality)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
⅓ cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
500 g fusilli pasta, dried
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
15 g butter, (a few knobs)
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
½ cup parsley, fresh, leaves only, chopped

Bash up the fennel seeds and chilies in a pestle and mortar (or spice grinder) until coarsely crushed, then put to one side. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins and put into the pan, really breaking it up using the back of the spoon. Fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to color and the fat has rendered slightly, then crush it once more so that it resembles coarse mince (ground meat). Add the bashed-up fennel seeds and cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes until the meat becomes crisp, golden brown and slightly caramelized.

Stir in your oregano, then pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce by half. Add the lemon zest and juice. Turn the heat down to low while you cook your pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water. When the pasta has cooked to al dente, drain it in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water, and toss the pasta in with your sausage mixture. Coat the pasta in all the lovely flavors then add the butter, Parmesan and chopped parsley, and a few spoonfuls of the reserved pasta cooking water. This will give you a lovely loose, shiny sauce. Taste and check for seasoning, then serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan over the top.