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Sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta
5 from 112 votes

Sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta

Sausage ragu paired with pappardelle pasta combines ground pork and beef sausages cooked with finely grated carrot, celery, onion, garlic, and fennel seeds in a tomato-based sauce enhanced with red wine and herbs. The sauce is slow-cooked to develop hearty depth and finished with fresh parsley and Parmesan, creating a rich, savory dish with a robust meaty texture and layered flavor to complement wide pasta noodles.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 5 - 6 people
Calories: 818 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Salt - Taste and add more salt if desired. (Sausages vary in saltiness so I always start with less)
Pasta:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

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%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5 - 6 people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 818

% 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.