Homemade Italian Sausage Ragù Recipe

Sausages are fantastic; what more is there to say? They’re a self-contained, considered balance of meat, fat, and spice. I can relate. And they’re versatile: as perfect slow-cooked in a stew or sauce as they are grilled and rolled up in a slice of white bread. Think of this deliberately uncomplicated pasta sauce as a celebration of the sausage-maker and their hard work. Or at least a really quick way to make a very flavourful ragu. Squeeze it out, fry it up, and add some tomatoes!

A modest but tasty pasta like our casarecce goes perfectly with this sort of hearty sauce, but you can serve it with pretty much anything that takes your fancy. Snowed under, of course, with a generous amount of cheese.

Ingredients

For the Pasta
1 lb. mezzi rigatoni (or fresh homemade pasta or pappardelle)

For the Sausage Ragù

1 lb. sweet Italian pork sausage (see note)
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 Rosemary sprig
1 tsp. fennel seeds
(1x) 28 oz. can of whole-peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano OR (1x) Authentic Pomodoro Sauce or (1x) Sicilian Tomato Sauce as the base sauce
1 bunch of fresh basil
Fine sea salt
Black pepper
Parmesan cheese

Notes & Tips

• If your Italian pork sausage contains fennel, omit the fennel seeds in the recipe
• Tomato puree or passata can be used in lieu of canned tomatoes. The texture will be smoother.

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, reserving a mug of cooking water before draining. Save it to loosen the sauce, if needed.
2. In a large 12-inch skillet, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat.
3. Add the sliced garlic, rosemary, and fennel seeds. Stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Squeeze the sausage meat from its casing and add it to the pan.
5. Gently brown the meat, using a wooden spoon to break it up as you go. Lower the heat if necessary so that the meat stays tender and does not become rubbery. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
6. Add the tomatoes and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes have broken down, about 30-40 minutes. Be sure to add a splash of water to your empty can of tomatoes, swirl it around, and add it back to the sauce.
7. Remove the rosemary sprig and skim any oil from the top with a spoon.
8. Sprinkle the sugar over the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Adjust taste to your liking.
9. Stack about 10 basil leaves on top a of each other and roll them up. Thinly slice into ribbons and add to the sauce.
10. Combine the pasta and sauce, adding some of the starchy cooking liquid if needed.
11. Serve with parmesan cheese and extra basil leaves.