Creamy Pork Baked Pasta Shells

1.Make white sauce: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring with a whisk, for 1 minute or until smooth paste forms. Gradually add milk, whisking continuously for 4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and season to taste.

2.Make a slit along the length of the sausages and remove meat, discarding casings. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook sausage meat, stirring, for 8 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl.

3.Cook onion, fennel, mushrooms, and garlic in the same pan, stirring, for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Transfer fennel mixture to sausage meat. Stir in blue cheese, lemon rind, and juice. Season with salt and pepper.

4.Cook dried pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain. Cool slightly.

5.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 26cm x 32cm (10-cup capacity) baking dish. Spread half the white sauce over the base. Arrange pasta in a single layer in the dish. Top with remaining white sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan, remaining lemon rind, and breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stand for 10 minutes.

6.Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook breadcrumbs, stirring, for 3 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from heat.

7.Serve baked pasta topped with breadcrumbs and fennel fronds.