Ingredients:
Merguez Sausage:
I remember when Jean-Francis first introduced me to North African merguez sausage in Marseille. With a large Moroccan and Algerian population in the South of France, the French have incorporated some of their culinary specialties into their own cuisine. Merguez sausage is made with lamb and boldly flavored with Harissa, a spicy red chili pepper paste. Serve warm with baguette. —A.

2 lbs (900 g) merguez sausage (see note)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, julienned
1 fennel bulb, julienned
2 tbsp garlic, chopped
3/4 cup (180 mL) white wine
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato sauce (recipe below)
fresh herbs, chopped (for garnish) (see note)

Tomato Sauce:
French or not, a good, basic tomato sauce is something all cooks need to master. It took us a few tries to develop this sauce for our pasta dishes at the restaurant. It’s light, very tasty, and simple to make for pasta dishes at home.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 can (100-oz/3-L) plum tomatoes (including juices)
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp dried oregano

Directions:
Merguez Sausage:
On a barbecue or under an oven broiler, grill sausages until fully cooked, turning occasionally. Set aside and allow to cool. In a sauté pan on medium, heat oil. Add onion, fennel, and garlic, and sauté to sweat onions for 2–3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine and Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces. Continue to cook until onions and fennel are soft and transparent. Check for seasoning. Add tomato sauce and reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Cut sausages into bite-sized pieces and add to pan, stirring to combine. Serve, garnished with fresh herbs.
Makes 8 servings

Tomato Sauce:
In a large pan on medium, heat oil. Add onions and sauté for about 2 minutes until just translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds, until garlic has softened slightly. Add tomatoes and its juices, stir, and increase heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, add salt and oregano, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 20–30 minutes, until tomatoes are very soft. Remove from heat and use a hand blender to purée until fairly smooth but retaining some chunks of tomato (alternatively, transfer sauce to a traditional blender to purée; be careful when blending hot liquids). Use immediately, and store leftovers in sealable 2-cup containers in freezer for up to 3 months.
Makes 6 1/3 cups (1.5 L)