Sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
2 hrs 15 mins
-
Servings
5 - 6 people
-
Calories
818 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Italian
Sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta
Description
This Sausage Ragu starts by sautéeing a soffrito of finely chopped onion, garlic, grated carrot, celery, and fennel seeds in olive oil until softened and aromatic. Both pork and beef sausages, removed from their casings, are then added and cooked over high heat, breaking the meat up to integrate with the vegetables. Tomato paste is incorporated and cooked briefly before deglazing the pan with Pinot Noir wine, reducing it to concentrate flavor.
Crushed canned tomatoes, chicken stock, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and seasonings including salt, pepper, and optional chili flakes are added next. The ragu simmers slowly in the oven for one hour, after which the meat is mashed finer and it continues to cook for 45 minutes to develop a rich, cohesive sauce.
The ragu is served tossed with tender pappardelle pasta, whose wide ribbons suit the chunky, textured sauce. Grated Parmesan cheese adds salty richness, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley brightens the dish. This recipe yields enough sauce for approximately 500g of pasta, serving about six people.
Both pork and beef sausages provide a balanced flavor and texture: pork adds softness while beef contributes depth. The sauce improves when made ahead and stored overnight. It keeps refrigerated for up to five days and freezes well for three months.
Ingredients
Sausage ragu:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped, small
- 3 garlic finely minced, cloves
- 1 carrot , peeled and grated using a box grater (Note 1)
- 2 celery grated using a box grater (Note 1, stalks
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 350g / 12 oz pork sausages , meat removed from casings (Note 2)
- 350g / 12 oz beef sausages , meat removed from casings (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup pinot noir sub 0% alcohol red wine or more chicken stock, red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock low sodium, or broth
- 400g/14 oz crushed tomato canned
- 3 thyme or 1/2 tsp dried, sprigs
- 2 bay leaf fresh better, else dried
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or cooking salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes red pepper flakes), optional (for hint of heat
To serve:
- 500g/ 1 lb pappardelle pasta , or other pasta (80g/2.8oz per serving) (Note 3)
- Parmesan Cheese finely grated, for serving, or parmigiano reggiano
- parsley , finely chopped, optional garnish (just a pinch)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
- Soffrito - Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot (with a lid) over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and fennel seeds. Cook for 8 minutes until the carrot is soft and sweet, but not golden.
- Cook sausage - Turn the heat up to high and add the sausage. Cook, breaking it up as you go, as best you can. It doesn't crumble as well as mince/ground meat but that's ok, we will break it up more later.
- Deglaze - Once the meat is no longer pink (it doesn't really brown), add the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and let it simmer rapidly for 2 minutes until reduced by half, stirring regularly to scrape the base of the pot clean.
- Slow cook #1 (1 hr) - Add the remaining ragu ingredients. Stir, bring to a simmer, put the lid on and place it in the oven for 1 hour.
- Slow cook #2 (45 min) - Remove from the oven and use a potato masher to mash the meat finer. Put the lid back on, and return to the oven for 45 minutes. The sauce will be quite thick, it gets loosened when tossed with the pasta.
- Salt - Taste and add more salt if desired. (Sausages vary in saltiness so I always start with less)
Pasta:
- Cook pasta - Cook the pappardelle according to the packet instructions. Just before draining, scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water and set it aside.
- Toss with sauce - Have the ragu pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the pasta into the pot along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cook water. Use two spatulas to toss the pasta until the ragu is tangled in the pasta strands and it is stained red from the sauce. Use extra pasta cooking water if needed to loosen it up.
- Serve in pre-warmed bowls, garnish with parmesan and a pinch of parsley if desired. Eat immediately!
Notes
- The sauce quantity serves 6 people with 500g of pasta, assuming 80g pasta per person.
- Grating carrot and celery finely helps them integrate seamlessly into the sauce.
- Using a mix of pork and beef sausages balances softness and rich meatiness in the sauce.
- Thick wide pappardelle noodles are ideal for this hearty ragu but other pasta types work well.
- Ragu tastes better after resting overnight; reheat gently on low heat before serving.
- Store ragu in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 5- 6 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 818 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 818cal | 41% |
| Carbohydrates | 75g | 25% |
| Protein | 33g | 66% |
| Fat | 40g | 62% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6g | 35% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 154mg | 51% |
| Sodium | 1193mg | 50% |
| Potassium | 1050mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 2262IU | 45% |
| Vitamin C | 18mg | 20% |
| Calcium | 106mg | 11% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
