A weekend trip to Jimmy’s farm yielded some amazing Classic – Essex sausages. Jimmy doesn’t muck around and they are packed with the delicious slow growing rare breed meat, great flavour and a lovely sausage on its own. During the week I like some veg and the weather had turned so comfort food was back on the menu.. English ingredients with an Italian twist me thinks.

Jimmy’s farm Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

6 Classic Essex Jimmy’s farm Sausages (any free range sausage would work)

250g Pasta (Penne)

200g Broccoli

1 Large White Onion

1 Green Chilli (Frozen)

½ Tsp Fennel Seeds

Tsp Chopped Thyme

Rapeseed Oil

Maldon Salt

Black Pepper

2 Chicken Stock cubes

Red Leicester for garnish

Firstly find a suitably sized saucepan and a generously sized sautee pan.

Fill the saucepan up with water, season with Salt and throw in the Chicken stock cubes. When the saucepan of water is boiling throw in your pasta and cook until just before it is ready (check the pack for instructions, cooking times for pasta’s vary hugely).

Meanwhile, chop your onion (fine dice) and Broccoli floret (into small bite sized florets) any extra Broccoli stalk chop up and add to the frying pan.

Next break up the sausages (pinch the meat through the skin) to from rough bite sized balls. Get them in the frying pan alongside the onions and fry them, make sure you get a little colour on the Sausage. Add the Fennel seeds too.

Just before the pasta is about to complete cooking add the Broccoli florets to it to cook for a minute or so.

Finally add the Thyme and finely chopped Chilli to the pan, I added this last so not to burn it.

Once the Pasta and Broccoli is cooked, drain and then add to the frying pan. Toss the ingredients together so that the Pasta and Broccoli is nicely coated with the cooking Oil and then serve on warm plates.