Ragu made with sausage is considered to be one of the most comforting dishes that can be prepared at home. It’s a dish that teaches you how to cook a cuisine that is both rich and soulful without having to spend the entire day in the kitchen. The average cook who is interested in preparing “real” cuisine will find this recipe to be highly suitable. In order to transform ordinary goods from the grocery store into a full-bodied sauce, it employs straightforward methods and ingredients that are not difficult to locate. The dinner is the ideal combination of warm comfort and potent spice, and it is an excellent foundation for pasta that is able to maintain its shape well, as the creator’s specific suggestions for pairings demonstrate. As demonstrated by this ragu, it is not necessary to be a professional chef in order to produce dinners that are of great quality and memorable. All that is required is a passion for bold flavors and the aspiration to create something that is one of a kind and out of the ordinary. This ragu is ideal for any occasion, whether you are having a cozy meal with your family on a chilly evening or a meal with a small group of friends.
Recipe Details
- Food: Italian
- Course: Main Meal
- Level of Difficulty: Easy
- Servings: 6 medium or 4 big (see video description for more information)
- Time to Get Ready: about 15 to 20 minutes
- Time to Cook: about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes
- Calories Per Serving: between 500 to 900 or more (this is an estimate because the exact number of calories depends on the ingredients and portion sizes).
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (454 grams) of mafaldine (you can use pappardelle or rigatoni instead)
- 2 tablespoons (30g) of extra virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces (170 grams) of diced pancetta
- 1 medium white onion, cut into small pieces
- 2 big carrots, cut into small pieces
- 2 ribs of celery, chopped very small
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) of bulk hot Italian sausage
- Two 28-ounce cans of plum tomatoes, mashed by hand or in a blender
- 56 grams (2 ounces) of tomato paste
- Calabrian chili paste, to taste
- A cup (240g) of dry red wine
- 1/2 cup (45g) grated Pecorino Romano
- 1 cup (240g) of leftover pasta water (you probably won’t need all of it)
Instructions:
To render pancetta, heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook it until most of the fat has melted.
- Cooking Sausage: Put the bulk hot Italian sausage in the saucepan and cook it, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it starts to brown. Take the sausage and pancetta out of the pot using a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot. Set them aside.
- Sauté Soffritto: Put the finely chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the pot with a little salt. Cook until it’s extremely soft. If it starts to burn, turn down the heat or add a little water.
- Put the sausage and pancetta back in the saucepan and add the tomato paste and wine. Mix in the tomato paste and simmer until everything is well mixed. Put in the red wine and bring the heat up. Once the water is boiling, scrape the bottom of the pan to get rid of any brown particles.
- Add the hand-crushed plum tomatoes to the simmering ragu and swirl to mix. Bring the sauce to a boil, then turn the heat down so it simmers. Keep the cover slightly open while you cook for at least 45 minutes. The flavor gets better the longer it cooks.
- Taste the ragu and add more salt and spice. Add Calabrian chili paste to taste if it’s not spicy enough. Add salt to taste.
- When the ragu is almost done, put a saucepan of salted water on the stove and bring it to a boil. If you’re using mafaldine or another type of pasta, cook it for one minute less than al dente. It will continue cooking in the sauce. Keep some of the pasta water.
- Mix and Serve: Put half of the ragu in a big pan and turn the heat to medium. Add the pasta that is just partly cooked and toss it to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add a little bit of the leftover pasta water. Take the pan off the heat after the pasta is al dente. Add the grated Pecorino Romano cheese and mix it in. Add additional ragu and pasta water to taste, then top with extra cheese.
Spicy Italian Sausage Ragù
Slow-simmered with pancetta, red wine & Calabrian chili — served over mafaldine
- 1 lb (454g) mafaldine*
- 1 cup (240g) pasta water, reserved
- 2 tbsp (30g) extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz (170g) pancetta, diced
- 1½ lb (680g) hot Italian sausage
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, finely diced
- 2 celery ribs, finely diced
- 2 (28 oz) cans plum tomatoes, crushed
- 2 oz (56g) tomato paste
- 1 cup (240g) dry red wine
- Calabrian chili paste, to taste
- Salt, to taste
- ½ cup (45g) Pecorino Romano, grated
*Or pappardelle / rigatoni
Render Pancetta
Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pancetta, cook until fat renders.
Brown Sausage
Add sausage, break up with spoon, cook until browned. Remove meat with slotted spoon, leave fat in pot.
Sauté Soffritto
Add onion, carrots, celery with pinch of salt. Cook until very soft. Add water if sticking.
Build Sauce
Return meat, add tomato paste, stir well. Add wine, bring to boil, scrape up brown bits.
Simmer
Add crushed tomatoes, bring to boil, reduce to simmer. Cook 45+ min with lid ajar. Season with salt & chili paste.
Cook Pasta
Boil pasta 1 min less than al dente. Reserve pasta water before draining.
Combine & Serve
Toss pasta with half the ragù over medium heat. Add pasta water if needed. Remove from heat, stir in Pecorino. Top with more ragù and cheese.
Conclusion:
This is an excellent dish for every person who cooks at home. The step-by-step directions provided by Sip & Feast make cooking simple, and the end product is a pasta sauce that is thick, intensely satisfying, and has the flavor of having been cooked for a considerable amount of time. You can modify the recipe to suit your preferences and the items that are readily accessible by selecting various ingredients, such as substituting pancetta with guanciale or bacon, and enlisting the assistance of others in selecting tomatoes. The fact that you should boil the ragu for a longer period of time in order to achieve a more robust flavor, or even prepare it the day before, demonstrates how this straightforward dish can be transformed into something quite remarkable. It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned chef or just starting out in the kitchen; this ragu is a wonderful and spectacular supper that doesn’t require much effort on your part. There is also the option to freeze any extra servings, which makes it even more convenient for use on subsequent evenings. At the end of the day, this recipe demonstrates that outstanding Italian comfort food can be simple to prepare and taste fantastic, providing everyone with a supper that is both satisfying and memorable. The movie is uplifting and provides you with helpful ideas that will make cooking a lot simpler and more enjoyable. Because of this, you can be certain that you will prepare a delicious supper.
Common FAQ’s on Sausage Ragu recipe:
What exactly is a “Soffritto”?
A mixture of finely diced onions, carrots, and celery is used to make the soffritto, which serves as the fragrant foundation of the sauce. The basic sweetness and depth of the ragu are achieved by cooking these ingredients slowly in the fat that has been rendered before use.
Is it possible to make this ragu less or more spicy?
You are able to alter the level of heat that it has. This recipe calls for hot Italian sausage, and if you want it to be even spicier, you may go ahead and add some Calabrian chili paste to it. The quantity of chili paste that you require is determined by the level of spiciness of your sausage as well as your personal preference. You can add it a little bit at a time, a teaspoon at a time, until you have the spice level you want.
What type of pasta goes best with this ragu?
Sawtooth pasta, also known as mafaldine pasta, is the type of spaghetti that is typically used for St. Joseph’s pasta. Because of its ridges, it is an excellent ragus. Pappardelle and rigatoni are both excellent substitutes for mafaldine in the event that you are unable to locate it. It has been recommended by the chef that this particular pasta not be used for light, white sauces such as cacio e pepe or aglio e olio.
Why is pancetta used in addition to sausage?
In addition to providing the fat that is required to sauté the veggies, pancetta imparts a smoky and salty flavor to the dish. The flavors are layered, which results in the sauce having a more nuanced flavor than a one-dimensional one.
What does it mean to “deglaze” the pan with wine?
The term “fond” refers to the small brown particles that adhere to the bottom of the pan when meat is browned. The addition of wine and the scraping of the pan both result in the release of these pieces, which are concentrated bursts of taste that dissolve into the sauce.
Do I really need to crush the tomatoes by hand?
A classic ragu is characterized by its rustic, chunky texture, which can be achieved through the process of hand-crushing. If you want a sauce that is more smooth, you can give them a quick pulsing in a blender; nevertheless, you should avoid turning them into a juice by overprocessing them.
How do I know when the ragu is “done”?
When the sauce has reached the desired consistency, the oil has begun to gently separate and rise to the surface, and the carrots have reached their full level of tenderness, the sauce is ready. In most cases, this takes between forty-five and sixty minutes.
Why should I cook the pasta for “one minute less” than the box instructions?
Molto al dente is the formal name for this. Due to the fact that the pasta is finished cooking inside the pan with the ragu, this avoids the noodles from getting mushy or overcooked by the time they are served on the plate.
Can I use Parmesan instead of Pecorino Romano?
The answer is yes; however, Pecorino, which is derived from sheep’s milk, has a saltier and tangier flavor, which works wonderfully with the robust sausage. Parmesan cheese is more subdued and nutty.
Can I make this ragu in a slow cooker?
Indeed. After browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables on the stove (this step is essential for taste), move everything to the slow cooker and simmer it on low for six to eight hours.
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