Roasted Broccoli, Fennel & Sausages

This is one of those easy, great fall weeknight dinners.

I have made it 3 times so far, once just serving it with a salad, the second time over pasta, and the 3rd time, I made it just to top pizzas.

I made it exactly as the recipe states, using a nice French grainy mustard (my favorite), and when you add a little bit of pasta water and grated Parmesan cheese, it makes a great pasta sauce.

I buy pork sausages from a local butcher, and though I don't eat much meat, I loved the little bits of charred pork in this dish.

I opted for cast iron, because it cooks so nicely at high heat in the oven, but you can make this in a casserole dish as well.

Roasted Sausages, Broccoli & Fennel: (adapted from Food52)

4 links of good quality pork sausage, removed from casings and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 small head of broccoli, cut into small florets
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and cut into thin slices, about 1/4-inch thick
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp whole-grain mustard
Finely grated zest and 1 tbsp of juice from a small lemon
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit if you're using spicy sausage)

Heat oven to 425° F.

Combine broccoli florets and sliced fennel in a shallow casserole, cast iron skillet or baking dish.

You want them to fit snugly in a single, even layer. Season with kosher salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, whole-grain mustard, lemon juice and zest, and hot pepper.

Add to broccoli and fennel and toss well to coat evenly. Nestle the pieces of sausage among the broccoli and fennel.

Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the broccoli and fennel are tender and the sausage is no longer pink. For extra security, you can toss about halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.

Optional but highly recommended from Food52 and moi: Heat broiler, and place the pan under the broiler for 3 minutes to crisp the sausage and slightly char the broccoli and fennel in spots. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If serving with pasta, save about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and add to the skillet with the cooked pasta (about 1/2 lb. of pasta).

Sprinkle w/ plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and dig in!

If you have any leftover broccoli, fennel and sausage, put on homemade pizzas tomorrow!

So good!