Buttery Cabbage and Sausage Pasta

Ingredients1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 medium-size yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 2 1/4 cups)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, plus more for garnish
1 small (2-pound) head green cabbage, quartered, cored, and finely shredded (about 8 packed cups)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Water, as needed
12 ounces uncooked gemelli pasta or other short pasta
3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup), plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
Chopped fresh dill, for garnish
Directions

1. Heat oil in a 14-inch skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook, stirring occasionally to break up into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate; reserve drippings in skillet.
   
2. Add 2 Tbsp butter to drippings in skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until melted, about 30 seconds. Add onion, garlic, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper; cook, scraping up any browned bits in skillet, until fragrant and slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in cabbage and salt. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is very soft and browned, about 20 minutes, adding water, 2 to 4 tablespoons at a time, as needed to deglaze and prevent browned bits from burning. During final 5 minutes of cook time, use a spatula to smash and break up pieces of cabbage.
   Be sure to cook the cabbage for as long as directed to make sure it fully softens.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add pasta; cook according to package directions for al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
   
4. Add cooked pasta, reserved sausage, 1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to cabbage mixture in skillet. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until liquid thickens to lightly coat pasta, about 3 minutes. Add cheese and lemon juice; cook, stirring constantly, until saucy, 1 to 2 minutes, adding up to remaining 1 cup cooking liquid if needed to achieve desired sauce consistency. Spoon into 6 bowls. Garnish with dill, additional crushed red pepper, and additional cheese.
   
   ​From Food & Wine Magazine