Sausage Ragu
It’s no secret that I love putting pork & fennel sausages into pasta where I can, so this Ragu has always been on my list to create!
It did not disappoint - the sauce is slowly cooked so it develops the most delicious flavours. You can cook it for as long as you like, so don’t let the timing of this recipe deter you from making it!
A good quality Italian sausage is a must, I used the non-spicy ones, but a mix of both would be delish!
You want to use a pasta that the sauce can cling to, I used a larger version of fusilli called fusilloni, but you could use rigatoni or a penne!
My secret ingredient to this dish is a little bit of cream at the end, it balances out the acidity from the tomatoes and the richness from the sausages and absolutely tops it off!
Prep Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 60-90 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
Pinch chilli flakes
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 fennel bulb, chopped fine
2 sticks of celery, chopped fine
1 carrot, grated
6 good quality Italian pork & fennel sausages
1/2 cup dry white wine
400ml Mutti san marzano tomatoes (if you cannot find these, then purchase mutti crushed tomatoes)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 x bay leaves
Parmesan rind (if you have one, if not leave it out!)
Method:
Heat your pot over a high heat and add some olive oil
Remove the sausages from the casing into little meatballs. Add them into the pan and fry until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside
Cook the onion, garlic and chilli in the oil left in the pot for a few minutes. Add in the carrot, fennel and celery and cook on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes
Add the tomato paste and stir until combined
Add the sausage meat back in and the bay leaves
Add in the wine & tomatoes and stir until combined. Add the parmesan rind if you have one
Pop a lid on and let it cook for 60-90 mins on a low heat
Just before serving, add in a little bit of cream and stir to combine.
Cook your pasta as per packet instructions in a pot of salted boiling water.
Reserve some pasta water and add into the sauce to thin it out a bit. Remove bay leaves & parmesan rind
Drain the pasta and add to the sauce and mix to combine.
Serve topped with parmesan & enjoy!
