Make the most of autumn and try making spaghetti with Italian sausages and delicious Australian chestnuts.
Roasted Chestnuts
Ingredients
325g uncooked chestnuts to make 250g cooked chestnuts
Method
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Cut a shallow cross into the flat side of each chestnut shell
Place prepared chestnuts onto a baking tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the shells split open
Once cooked, remove chestnuts from the heat and wrap in a clean tea towel for 5 to 10 minutes. While chestnuts are still warm, quickly peel off the outer brown shell and remove the papery thin skin underneath
Spaghetti
Ingredients
2 tbs olive oil
400g Italian style pork sausages
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
1 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, halved and very thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
250g roasted chestnuts
350g spaghetti
1 tbs lemon juice
1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Lemon wedges, to serve
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Method
Heat 1 tbs oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cut casings from sausages and drop small pieces of the sausage filling into pan. Cook, turning often, until browned. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside
Heat remaining 1 tbs oil in the pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes until soft. Add chilli, garlic and fennel, cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add sausage and chestnuts and cook for 10 minutes, tossing often
Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling water following packet directions. Drain and return to pan. Gently toss through chestnut mixture, lemon juice and parsley. Season to taste
Serve with lemon wedges and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
