Sunday Suppers: Sausage Ragu

sausage ragu7

I bought this fantastic fresh pasta from Italy that comes in vacuum packed bags.
It stays fresh in the refrigerator for 2 months.
Once you try this stuff, it will be hard to eat dried pasta again, it's that good!

I wanted to make a quick ragu, but didn't want to use up my entire Sunday doing it.

My friends Amy & Jonny at We Are Never Full posted this super EASY and delicious sausage ragu. The addition of fennel seeds and peas made it fantastic.

I used a Cabernet Sauvignon because I had a bottle, but I think a Chianti or any full bodied red wine would work.

Amy & Jonny's Easy Sausage Ragu

1 lb. pappardelle (dried or homemade)
*1 lb. ground GOOD sausage meat (I used 3 large sausage links taken out of casings)
1 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
1 cup of red wine
1 cup of peas (I used frozen)
basil
salt and pepper


*note: I always say "GOOD" sausage meat, as well as "GOOD" olive oil.
What does this mean?

This means that I buy only Italian olive oil that I would lick off a spoon, might be a bit pricey, but worth it. Only use oil that you like the taste of.
Same goes for sausage. I only buy sausage from an Italian butcher that I know, he makes it homemade, it is lean and so good. The supermarket stuff can be scary.



Saute your onions and garlic in some olive oil for a few minutes to get some color to them. Add the sausage meat and break up with a wooden spoon. Allow to brown for 2 to 3 minutes and then add the fennel seeds and stir.

Add in the red wine and stir into the meat. Allow to cook down for a minute. Add the whole can of tomatoes (I used plum tomatoes and broke them down w/ a spoon).
Let this cook on medium-low and stir. It will cook for about 20-30 minutes until all the flavors come together.

While the ragu comes together, boil some salted water. About ten minutes before you’re ready to eat, boil your pasta until al dente and add directly into the ragu along with a 1/4 ladle-full of pasta water. Add peas. Cook for 30 seconds, toss in some basil and plate. Serve with Parmigiano Reggiano.



This was fantastic, and I loved that I didn't have to cook my pork shoulder forever.
I will be making this again to use in my winter lasagne.

Enjoy!

Comments

Donna-FFW said…
That looks absolutely amazing, Ill be trying this.
Ciao Chow Linda said…
Stacey - this looks like a winner. I made homemade pappardelle just this weekend, but I want to know where to buy that pasta? It looks as good as homemade. I just discovered "Simply Grazin" sausage at Whole Foods - it's organic and top notch in taste. They use it on the pizzas at Nomad pizza.
kat said…
That sounds so amazing! We started grinding our own Italian sausage & it would be great in this!
That looks mighty good Stace!
I was trying to catch the name of that pasta to see if I can get it here in my area. What a great item to have stocked in your frig!
oh yeah, girl!!! thank you SO much!! It is very and great comfort food. We really appreciate you sending us some love...really glad you liked it!
Maria said…
I posted pasta today too. I love it!
Mmmmmnn! Love papardelle. We have a really good Italian store that makes great homemade pasta.
The JR said…
Looking good Stacy. Haven't seen that around here.

Ramona
The Food Hunter said…
I love how easily this sauce comes together. Sounds great.
Yummy! That is the perfect Sunday Supper - and with plenty of time for cocktails, too!
Anonymous said…
Yum.. A sausage ragu made with fennel seeds and peas sounds really yum. And the pappardelle looks fantastic. I'm a tiny bit jealous here.
Jen_from_NJ said…
I made this and it was absolutely delicious! You are so right about using top quality ingredients. Thanks!
Anonymous said…
My girlfriend and I just made this- so good! We left out the peas and added some parm as a nice topping. It was so flavorful. Thanks for the recipe.
Adam and Kim.