Sausage Ragù
While beef is a traditional choice for meat sauces, we've made this Sausage Ragù with pork for a tender and flavorful sauce—but the flavor here is so much more than just ground meat and tomatoes! The key to this recipe begins with a slowly cooked "soffritto.” Soffritto is what the Italians call that trilogy of vegetables that are the start of the most famous and delicious recipes: onions, carrots, celery, and often a generous amount of garlic. There is also one more key ingredient that you cannot skimp on: time. Low and slow is the way to go for a rich and succulent sauce.
- Ingredients
- 1lb Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jar Bionaturae Strained Tomatoes
- ¼ cup Bionaturae Tomato Paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 box Bionaturae Durum Semolina Bucatini (or pasta of your choice)
- Bionaturae Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese for serving
- 1 bunch of fresh basil
- Instructions
- In a large skillet or saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Remove the sausage meat from the casing. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
- In the same pan, add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat. Return the cooked sausage to the pan.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste, then add the strained tomatoes. Mix well.
- Add the oregano, a handful of fresh basil, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to low and let the ragù simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken, and the flavors will meld together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the bucatini in the water and cook “al dente”, as directed on the box.
- Transfer the bucatini to the sausage ragù with one cup of pasta water.
- Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil, turn the heat on high, and sauté the pasta with the sauce for a few minutes.
- Serve in a pasta bowl with a generous amount of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and some fresh basil leaves to garnish.