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+ servings
a bowl of sausage ragu with cascatelli.
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5 from 1 vote

Sausage Ragù

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This sausage ragù is inspired by Bolognese, (because there are differences between ragu vs Bolognese). Although it takes a bit of time from start to finish, it cooks slowly and with little intervention. So you can make a side to go with your Italian sausage ragù while stirring the pot and sipping a glass of the wine you opened to make the pasta sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8
Calories: 297kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup onion
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 medium-sized carrot
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 28 ounces (1 large can) whole tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • Parmesan, grated for serving

Instructions

  • Finely chop the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic.
    ½ cup onion, 1 stalk celery, 1 medium-sized carrot, 1 clove garlic
  • Add the olive oil to the pan and heat on medium low. Add the vegetables and cook until softened about 5 minutes.
    1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Add the meat, breaking up into small pieces, and cook until no longer pink.
    1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
  • Add the milk and cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk has been absorbed.
    1 cup milk
  • Repeat with the wine (add and cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally until absorbed).
    1 cup red wine
  • Add the can of tomatoes (discard the basil, if your can has basil), salt, and nutmeg, and cover. Continue to cook at a low simmer for at least 30 minutes. Occasionally check on the pot to skim off any fat that rises to the surface and then stir to break up the tomatoes.
    28 ounces (1 large can) whole tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • If you are having this over pasta, boil a large pot of well-salted water and cook the pasta as directed to al dente.
  • When the pasta has cooked, drain and return it to the pasta pot. Add as much sauce as desired to the cooked pasta and cook for an additional minute so the pasta absorbs some of the sauce.
  • Serve immediately with the Parmesan alongside for topping.
    Parmesan, grated

Notes

This sausage ragu recipe makes enough for 8 pasta servings or one 9 by 13 inch lasagna.
I find it simplest to use a food processor to chop the vegetables for this ragu. Just pulse and blitz until you get a fine chop, scraping down your bowl as necessary.
Slowly cooking the sausage in milk and then wine helps keep the sausage tender.
A reasonable rule of thumb is that you should cook with wine that you would drink, but you also don't want to use a great wine. Pour at least a sip of wine before you add it to your sausage ragu to make sure it isn't corked.
Mix the sausage ragu and al dente pasta in the pan and heat the combination together. This makes the pasta absorb some of the sauce and will give your sausage pasta better flavor and texture. Please don't skip this step.

Nutrition

Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 860mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1560IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg