Roast Sausage and Fennel with Orange

A flavorful Mediterranean-inspired dish combining roasted sweet Italian sausages with tender fennel, red onion, and bright citrus notes from fresh orange. The dish is finished with aromatic rosemary and a light vinaigrette.

4 servings
50 min

Ingredients

  • 2 medium fennel bulbs
  • 1 small red onion
  • 3 sprigs rosemary
  • 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • to taste Kosher salt and pepper
  • 6 links sweet Italian sausages
  • 1 medium navel orange
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • to taste flaky sea salt

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Place a rack in highest position in oven; preheat to 425°F. Combine fennel bulbs, red onion, and rosemary sprigs on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp. oil, season generously with kosher salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Arrange sausages on top, spacing evenly and nestling into vegetables. Prick sausages all over with the tip of a paring knife and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil. Roast until sausages are browned on top and cooked though and fennel is tender and deeply browned in spots, 25-30 minutes.

    30 min

  2. 2.

    Meanwhile, coarsely chop reserved fennel fronds (you want about 1/4 cup); set aside. Cut the ends off orange to reveal flesh. Rest orange upright on a cut side and cut down around orange to remove peel and white pith, rotating it as you go; discard peel. Working over a small bowl, hold orange in your hand and cut between membranes to release segments into bowl. Squeeze membranes to extract any remaining juice into bowl; discard membranes. Add vinegar to orange segments and juice and toss to combine; season with kosher salt and pepper.

    10 min

  3. 3.

    Remove baking sheet from oven. Using your hand or a spoon to block segments, pour juices from orange over sausage and fennel mixture. Set orange segments aside and let sausages and fennel mixture cool 5 minutes.

    5 min

  4. 4.

    Transfer sausages and fennel mixture to a platter. Crumble rosemary leaves over and scatter reserved orange segments and fennel fronds on top. Season with sea salt and a bit more pepper; drizzle with oil.

    5 min