This Easy Gluten Free Sausage and Fennel Pasta Recipe is a delicious, quick, and easy skillet meal. It is also dairy free, nut free, and soy free. Perfect for busy weeknights or entertaining a crowd!

sausage and fennel pasta with spinach and mushrooms in a bowl with a fork

What Makes This Recipe Great

This Sausage and Fennel Pasta is a delicious and flavorful Italian-inspired meal that combines savory sausage with the licorice-like flavors of fennel. I personally am not a licorice fan, but I happen to love fennel. The combination of flavors in this dish are incredible. The sausage and fennel are tossed with mushrooms, spinach, and gluten free pasta in a creamy dairy free sauce. This meal is perfect for busy weeknights, yet fancy enough to serve at a dinner party! It also comes together in 30 minutes or less.

Recipe Highlights

  • Ready in 30 minutes or less
  • Gluten free & dairy free
  • Made with simple ingredients
  • Cozy pasta recipe
  • Homemade comfort food
  • Easy to make
  • Makes great leftovers

Ingredient Needed for Sausage Fennel Pasta

imgredients for fennel and sausage pasta

Pasta: I used gluten free Tagliatelle, but any long gluten free pasta will work. A small pasta shape is also ok, but long ones are better for saucy recipes. Fettuccine would also be a great option. Feel free to use regular pasta if you do not need to be gluten free.

Italian Sausage: I usually look for sugar free if possible. Roma makes a great Italian Sausage with relatively clean ingredients here locally. Any hot or sweet Italian Sausage will work, though! It is up to personal preference. You will just need to remove it from the casings if you can’t find ground sausage.

Fresh Fennel: This makes the dish in my opinion! Fennel is like a cross between and onion and celery and it has a slight licorice taste. If you don’t want to use fennel or you are having a hard time finding it, a yellow onion can be used instead.

Mushrooms: Any type of slices mushrooms will work.

Spinach: You can also sub lacinato kale or broccoli rabe!

Minced garlic

Chicken broth: I love Kettle & Fire brand or the Kirkland brand of chicken stock at Costco.

Coconut milk: This is a great dairy-free alternative to heavy cream for this pasta dish. Original Nutpods also works well. If you do not need to be dairy free, you can use half & half. When it comes to coconut milk, I like Native Forest and Thai Kitchen brands- they do not taste as coconutty as the Trader Joe’s brand.

How To Make This Fennel Sausage Pasta

sausage and fennel pasta
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, then drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add fennel, sausage, garlic and mushrooms. Saute with a wooden spoon until the sausage is golden brown and cooked through and the fennel and mushrooms have softened, approximately 7-8 minutes.
  2. Add in chicken broth, stir, and let it simmer until the pasta is done.
  3. Add in spinach and stir 1-2 minutes until wilted. Stir in the coconut milk.
  4. Add in drained pasta and toss to combine.
  5. Serve with fresh parsley or chopped fennel fronds and parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
sausage and fennel pasta in a cast iron skillet with a green napkin next to it

Mary’s Tips & Tricks

Variations: Feel free to use ground turkey sausage or chicken sausage if you prefer. Regular pasta can be used if you do not need to be gluten free. Half and half can be used instead of coconut milk if you do not need to be dairy free. Omit mushrooms if you don’t like them.

Storage: Store leftover sausage fennel pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta will not get hard – gluten free pasta typically stores well in any type of sauce.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this recipe, as it may change the texture of the pasta.

Recipe FAQ’s

What does fennel taste like?

Fennel bulb has the consistency of an onion mixed with celery, and it has a slight licorice taste. It pairs really well with sausage in this recipe.

Is sausage fennel pasta spicy?

This will depend on the type of sausage you use and if you add red pepper flakes. If you use a mild Italian sausage, it will not be hot or spicy. If you use Spicy Italian sausage, then it will be spicy.

What type of sausage is best?

Italian pork sausage is my favorite type of sausage to use in this recipe.

sausage and fennel pasta in gray bowls with parsley on top

More Gluten Free Easy Pasta Dinners

Buffalo Tuna Pasta Salad

Chicken Marsala Fettuccine

Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu

Tik Tok Spaghetti Alfredo

Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole

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Easy Gluten Free Sausage and Fennel Pasta Recipe

This Easy Gluten Free Sausage and Fennel Pasta Recipe is a delicious, quick, and easy skillet meal. It is also dairy free, nut free, and soy free. Perfect for busy weeknights or entertaining a crowd!
5 from 4 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 box Jovial Foods gluten free Tagliatelle, or pasta of choice
  • 1 lb Italian Sausage, casings removed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 fennel bulb, coarsely chopped, fronds removed
  • 2 cups raw baby spinach
  • 8 oz mushrooms, cremini or white
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup full-fat coconut milk, original Nutpods, or half & half (not dairy free)
  • ½ tsp sea salt, more or less to taste

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add fennel, sausage, garlic and mushrooms. Saute until the sausage is browned and cooked through and the fennel and mushrooms have softened, approximately 7-8 minutes. Add in chicken broth, stir, and let it simmer until the pasta is done.
  • Add in spinach and stir 1-2 minutes until wilted. Stir in the coconut milk. Add in drained pasta and toss to combine.
  • Serve with parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Variations: Feel free to use ground turkey sausage or chicken sausage if you prefer. Regular pasta can be used if you do not need to be gluten free. Half and half can be used instead of coconut milk if you do not need to be dairy free. Omit mushrooms if you don’t like them.
Storage: Store leftover sausage fennel pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta will not get hard – gluten free pasta typically stores well in any type of sauce.
Freezing: I do not recommend freezing this recipe, as it may change the texture of the pasta.

Nutrition

Calories: 812kcal, Carbohydrates: 71g, Protein: 28g, Fat: 48g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 1433mg, Potassium: 872mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1486IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 5mg

This post was originally published on December 22, 2019 and updated with new photos and copy on January 9, 2024.