Rigatoni with fennel sausage sauce

Start cooking opens one step at a time with read-aloud and hands-free voice control — “next”, “repeat”, “how much salt”, “timer 10 minutes”.

1. 1Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cook gently pan for which you have a lid. Add the sausage pieces and fry on a medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until golden-brown all over.
2. 2Transfer the sausages to a plate, then add the onion and fennel to the hot pan and fry for 15 minutes, stirring once in a while, until soft and caramelised; if the pan goes a bit dry, add a teaspoon or so of extra oil.
3. 3Fold in the paprika, garlic and half the fennel seeds, fry for two minutes more, then pour on the wine and boil for 30 seconds, to reduce by half.
4. 4Add the tomatoesAdd the tomatoes, sugar, 100ml water, the seared sausage and half a teaspoon of salt, cover and leave to simmer for 30 minutes; remove the lid after 10 minutes, and cook until the sauce is thick and rich.
5. 5Remove from the heat, stir through the olives and remaining fennel seeds and set aside until you’re ready to serve.
6. 6Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and let it cook for 12-14 minutes (or according to the instructions on the packet), until al dente. In the meantime, reheat the sauce.
7. 7DrainDrain the pasta, return it to the pot, mix in a tablespoon of oil, then divide between the bowls.
8. 8Put all the pesto ingredients except the basil in the small bowl of a food processor. Add a tablespoon of water and blitz to a rough paste.
9. 9Add the basil, then blitz until just combined (the pesto has a much better texture if the basil is not overblended).
10. 10ServeSpoon over the ragù and top with a spoonful of pesto. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped fennel fronds, if you have any, and serve at once.