Ragu which is an Italian staple is basically a meat sauce made from a few great ingredients used wisely
The rich flavor of the sauce develops with each step you take and makes a hearty and delicious finish
Typically, you make a Ragu with some form of ground meat like beef or pork but for this take we are going to use hot Italian sausages
To start, we need some basics like 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, some fresh sage (we just love sage here), 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
Peel and chop the onion and garlic
Remove the sage leaves from the stems and chop as well
Add the olive oil and butter to a pan over medium heat
Once the butter has melted and is bubbling along with the oil add in the bay leaves and crushed red pepper
Cook for 1-2 minutes until the red pepper and bay leaves are starting to release some aromatics
Then add in the sage and cook another 2 minutes
Next add in the onion and garlic
Saute the onion and garlic for 6-8 minutes until lightly browned and starting to get translucent
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook your favorite pasta according to the directions (you’re looking for al dente)
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it but reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water
The starch from the pasta in the water can be used as a thickener for the sauce
Next up is the sausage
We are using 1 1/2 pounds of hot Italian sausage links
We are removing them from their casings and adding to the pan along with the kosher salt and ground black pepper
Cook the sausage 10-12 minutes while breaking them up into smaller bits
You want the sausage to be nicely browned
Next we will need 1 can of tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine (like a Chardonnay) and 1/2 cup of milk
Add the tomato paste to the pan
Stir into the mixture and cook down around 4-6 minutes
Add the white wine and stir to combine
Simmer for 10 minutes to allow the alcohol to cook off
Add in the milk and reserved pasta water and stir to combine
Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook another 25-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld
At this point you can remove the 2 bay leaves and discard (they have done their part)
Remove from the heat and add in the pasta
Gently mix the paste with the Ragu
Top with some fresh chopped sage and basil
Give it a final mix to bring all these flavors together
And serve!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Pasta with Sausage Ragu
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds of hot Italian sausage
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of fresh sage
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon each of kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 can of tomato paste (6 ounces)
1 1/2 cups of dry white wine (like a Chardonnay)
1/2 cup of milk
additional sage and fresh basil for serving
1 pound of pasta cooked and drained (we used cellentani)
1/2 cup of reserved pasta water
Directions
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to a pan over medium heat Once the butter has melted and is bubbling along with the oil add in 2 bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the red pepper and bay leaves are starting to release some aromatics. Then add in 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped sage and cook another 2 minutes
Next add in 1 peeled and chopped onion and 2 peeled and chopped garlic cloves. Saute the onion and garlic for 6-8 minutes until lightly browned and starting to get translucent
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook your favorite pasta according to the directions (you’re looking for al dente). Once the pasta is cooked, drain it but reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water
Remove 1 1/2 pounds of hot Italian sausages from their casings and add to the pan along with the 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ground black pepper. Cook the sausage 10-12 minutes while breaking them up into smaller bits. You want the sausage to be nicely browned
Add 1 can of tomato paste (6 ounces) to the pan. Stir into the mixture and cook down around 4-6 minutes. Add in 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine (like a Chardonnay) and stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes to allow the alcohol to cook off. Add in 1/2 cup of milk and the reserved pasta water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook another 25-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Remove the 2 bay leaves and discard
Remove from the heat and add in the cooked and drained pasta. Gently mix the paste with the Ragu. Top with some fresh chopped sage and basil
Royal Classique Measuring Cups
Architec Gripperwood Cutting Board
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