Italian Sausage Ragu
This flavorful and hearty Italian sausage ragu recipe uses simple ingredients and tastes rich and delicious.
I normally make a simple pomodoro sauce or a butter-roasted tomato sauce when I have a craving for pasta but this time I wanted something heartier. I made this simple Italian sausage ragu recipe and let it simmer on the stove for a few hours which made the sauce extra flavorful. This delicious, thick, and hearty ragu sauce is best served with hearty pasta like rigatoni or penne but it’s also delicious with gnocchi or as a base sauce for lasagna.
How to Make Italian Sausage Ragu
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat then add the ground Italian sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage as it cooks, for about 4-5 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the Dutch oven into a bowl then remove any excess grease from the Dutch oven.
Add the butter and olive oil to the same Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery then season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the sausage meat back to the Dutch oven along with the garlic and crushed fennel seeds then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes. Add the crushed whole tomatoes and juices to the Dutch oven along with 1/2 cup of water and a sprig of rosemary then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Simmer the ragu for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid and continue to simmer for another 60-75 minutes. Side Note: Add a bit more water if needed.
Remove the sprig of rosemary before serving. Taste & re-season, if needed. Serve with cooked pasta, gnocchi, or lasagna. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ lb spicy pork Italian sausage
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, minced
- 2 small carrots, peeled & minced
- 1 stalk of celery, minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed **A mortar & pestle works great to crush the seeds
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 (28 oz) can of whole tomatoes, crushed by hand **Using really good canned tomatoes makes the sauce even tastier!
- ½ cup water
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat then add the ground Italian sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage as it cooks, for about 4-5 minutes, or until browned. Remove from the Dutch oven into a bowl then remove any excess grease from the Dutch oven.
- Add the butter and olive oil to the same Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery then season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage meat back to the Dutch oven along with the garlic and crushed fennel seeds then cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the crushed whole tomatoes and juices to the Dutch oven along with 1/2 cup of water and a sprig of rosemary then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Simmer the ragu for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with a lid and continue to simmer for another 60-75 minutes. Side Note: Add a bit more water if needed.
- Remove the sprig of rosemary before serving. Taste & re-season, if needed.
- Serve with cooked pasta, gnocchi, or lasagna. Enjoy.
So flavourful and yummy!