Italian Sausage Ragu

This Italian sausage ragu is packed with rich, savory flavors. It tastes like it’s been simmering for hours but it only takes about 30 minutes to prepare. Add some penne and a sprinkle of parmesan for a hearty dinner everyone at your table will love. And don’t forget a big side salad and maybe even some garlic bread.

This is not an average ragu, it’s made with both, mild and spicy Italian sausage. It’s the perfect way to spice up your pasta night at home! If you don’t have Italian sausage on hand, any ground pork or chicken will work fine, just add some flavor with pantry spices like red pepper flakes and fennel seeds.

It’s comforting and budget-friendly, you can double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for another time, it will taste just as good.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

RECIPE NOTES

• use your favorite pasta shape
• if you don’t have Italian sausage on hand, use herbed sausage, ground pork or ground chicken, just add some extra red pepper flakes and fennel seeds 
• if time allows, you can simmer the sauce for 45 minutes to create a deeper flavor, just cover the pot with a lid and add a splash of cooking water before tossing with pasta
• double the recipe and freeze the leftovers for another time
• serve with a side salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar

Try These Next

• Sausage and Tomato Pasta alla Carbonara
• Italian Sausage and Chorizo Rigatoni
• Beef and Bell Pepper Spaghetti

Cooking Video

Yield: serves 4

Italian Sausage Ragu

Print

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 500 g Italian sausage, sweet + spicy, casings removed
• 1 large carrot, diced
• ½ cup red wine
• ½ cup beef broth
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 800 ml San Marzano crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 300 g penne
• grated parmesan, for serving

Spices

• 1 tsp fennel seeds, salt, black pepper, dried rosemary, dried sage, dried oregano
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
• ¼ tsp grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic, finely chop the onion, peel and dice the carrot.
   Remove casings from Italian sausages.
2. Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium low. Add garlic and onion, cook for 2 minutes. Add sausages, break up into pieces. Cook until browned and no longer pink in the middle, 5 minutes. Add carrot and spices, cook for 1 minute.
3. Pour in red wine, simmer for 2 minutes. Add beef broth and tomato paste. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, simmer the sauce uncovered for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened.
4. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pan of generously salted water to a boil and cook penne according to the packet instructions. Drain, reserving a ladle of pasta water.
5. In the meantime, chop the parsley.
6. When ready, add pasta and parsley to the sauce, toss to combine. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of cooking water, if needed.
7. Serve immediately sprinkled with grated Parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

Calories Per Serving: 683 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe?

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