Description
This hearty and flavorful sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta is a comforting Italian-inspired dish perfect for a satisfying meal. The slow-cooked ragu combines sweet soffrito vegetables, mixed pork and beef sausages, rich tomato paste, and red wine to create a thick, savory sauce that clings beautifully to wide, ribbon-like pappardelle pasta. Garnished with freshly grated Parmesan and optional parsley, this dish is ideal for family dinners or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage Ragu
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated using a box grater
- 2 celery stalks, grated using a box grater
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 350g / 12 oz pork sausages, meat removed from casings
- 350g / 12 oz beef sausages, meat removed from casings
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup pinot noir red wine (or 0% alcohol red wine/more chicken stock)
- 1 cup chicken stock/broth, low sodium
- 400g / 14 oz can crushed tomato
- 3 thyme sprigs (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
- 2 bay leaves (fresh preferred, otherwise dried)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), optional
To Serve
- 500g / 1 lb pappardelle pasta (approx. 80g / 2.8 oz per serving)
- Parmesan or parmigiano reggiano, finely grated, for serving
- Parsley, finely chopped, optional garnish (a pinch)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced), preparing for slow cooking the ragu in a heavy-based pot.
- Soffrito Preparation: Warm olive oil in a large heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add finely chopped onion, minced garlic, grated carrot and celery, and fennel seeds. Cook gently for 8 minutes until the vegetables soften and become sweet, avoiding any browning to preserve delicate flavors.
- Cook Sausage: Increase heat to high and add the sausage meat, breaking it up as much as possible with a wooden spoon. Although it won’t crumble as easily as ground meat, this texture will be refined later.
- Deglaze and Flavor Base: Once the sausage is no longer pink, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen flavor. Pour in the red wine and let it simmer rapidly for 2 minutes, reducing by half while scraping the pot base to lift all the flavorful residue.
- First Slow Cook: Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, and optional chili flakes. Stir well, bring to a simmer, cover with a lid, and transfer the pot to the preheated oven. Cook undisturbed for 1 hour to meld flavors and tenderize the meat.
- Second Slow Cook and Mash: Remove the pot carefully from the oven. Using a potato masher, gently mash the sausage mixture to break down chunks further, achieving a finer texture. Replace the lid and return the pot to the oven for an additional 45 minutes. The sauce should thicken in this stage.
- Adjust Seasoning: Taste the sauce and add more salt if necessary, considering sausage saltiness can vary. Keep it balanced to your preference.
- Cook Pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pappardelle according to package instructions until al dente. Just before draining, reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water for sauce adjustment.
- Toss Pasta with Ragu: Place the ragu pot back on the stove over medium heat. Add the drained pasta along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Using two spatulas, toss the pasta vigorously to combine and coat each strand with the rich sauce. Add more pasta water in small increments if the sauce needs loosening.
- Serve: Divide the sauced pasta into pre-warmed bowls. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy immediately for best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Grating the carrot and celery finely helps them cook evenly and blend smoothly into the sauce, enhancing sweetness and texture without large chunks.
- Removing the sausage meat from the casings allows for better integration into the ragu, ensuring no chewy casing pieces remain.
- Pappardelle is the ideal pasta shape due to its wide ribbons that hold the thick, chunky ragu sauce beautifully, but other wide pasta like tagliatelle or fettuccine can be substituted.
- If avoiding alcohol, substitute the pinot noir with more chicken stock or an alcohol-free red wine alternative.
- Using fresh herbs enhances flavor, but dried thyme and bay leaves work well when fresh aren’t available.
- Be cautious with salt addition as sausage saltiness may vary; start with less and adjust to taste after cooking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: sausage ragu, pappardelle pasta, Italian ragu, slow-cooked sausage sauce, homemade pasta sauce, comforting pasta recipe
