Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Fennel

Name: Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Fennel
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1/4 cup, extra-virgin olive oil; 6 medium, garlic cloves, minced and pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons); 1/2 teaspoon, red pepper flakes; , Table salt; 8 ounces, sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing; 1 medium, fennel bulb, halved, cored, and sliced thin; 1/2 cup, pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped; 1/2 cup, coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves (see note); 2 tablespoons, juice from 1 lemon; 1 pound, whole-wheat spaghetti (see photo below); 1 ounce, grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/2 cup)

Main Courses
Pasta
Pork

Appears in Cook's Illustrated March/April 2010

Tomato sauce is almost never the right choice for capitalizing on this pasta’s robust flavor. Neither is cream sauce or pesto. So what is?

SERVES 4

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