1 pound medium shells
1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing, preferably with fennel seed
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups diced onions
1 cup diced fennel
1 cup cooked white beans
2 cups diced plum tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped mint or basil
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
Break up the sausage and brown it in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir once.
Add the olive oil to the sauté pan and cook the onions over moderate heat until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the fennel and cook for 3 minutes longer. Add the white beans, tomatoes, sausage and mint or basil and heat through. Cook the orecchiette al dente and drain. Toss with the sausage sauce. Serve at once.
Makes 4 servings.