- 2 pounds sweet or hot Italian link sausages, divided
- 2 large onions, sliced (about 6 cups), divided
- 2 large fresh fennel bulbs, sliced (about 6 cups), divided
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper, divided
- 3 cups dry white wine (about one 750-ml bottle), divided
- 6 pounds mussels, scrubbed, debearded
- 1 16-ounce crusty French or sourdough baguette, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, divided
- Extra-virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Using fork, pierce sausages all over. Heat each of 2 large cast-iron skillets or other large ovenproof skillets over medium-high heat. Add half of sausages to each skillet and cook meat until browned, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add half of onions, half of fennel, half of garlic, and half of dried crushed red pepper to each skillet. Add 1 cup white wine to each skillet and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until sausages and vegetables are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Add 1/2 cup wine, then 1/2 of mussels to each skillet; transfer skillets to oven and roast uncovered 5 minutes. Carefully remove skillets from oven; top each skillet with enough baguette slices to cover completely. Return skillets to oven; bake uncovered until mussels open and bread slices begin to brown, about 5 minutes longer (discard any mussels that do not open).
- Drizzle bread in each skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve mussels and sausages directly from skillets.