My Pork Sausage Ragu is quickly and easily made and delicious to eat. It is pure comfort food, ideal for busy nights and as a bonus, is also family-friendly. Although it is an economical meal, it does not lack flavour; it is rich and satisfying.
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Why we love this recipe:
This is a recipe that is simple to make. All the ingredients are readily available, a great advantage when time is short. As well, you can have it on the table within one hour, with minimal hands-on time, leaving you free to make a salad.
We love that:
- It is easily made gluten-free. Simply find the appropriate sausages, and serve with gluten-free pasta.
- As always, with the food that we make, we control the quality of the ingredients.
- You can customise the Pork Sausage Ragu to suit your taste. I have used pork sausages, but you could use chicken or beef if you prefer.
- It is ideal for busy nights when it can be a great advantage to serve a meal which is family friendly.
- It is an economical meal, with all ingredients readily available.
- For convenience, make a larger batch and store in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Olive oil - for the best flavour.
Onion, carrot and celery - a great flavour base to the ragu.
Garlic - fresh garlic is best.
Rosemary - I have used fresh, but you can use dried.
Pork sausages - I have used finely ground, mildly seasoned, pork sausages, but you could use chicken or beef if you prefer.
Red Wine - adds rich colour and flavour.
Tomato paste - a concentrate for added richness.
Canned Diced tomatoes - use good quality.
Stock/broth - a flavour booster. Use homemade or good quality commercial.
Bay leaf - available fresh or dried, use the whole leaf.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - season to taste.
Parmesan - freshly grated is best. I like Grana Padano, it has great flavour and is less expensive than Parmigiano Reggiano.
Parsley - flat-leaf, continental, roughly chopped to serve. (optional)
Step by step instructions:
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat & cook the onion, celery and carrot for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add garlic and fresh rosemary, stir to combine.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings into the pan.
- Fry the sausage meat until browned, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon.
- Pour in the wine and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes until evaporated.Add tomato puree and bay leaf, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the diced tomatoes and stock.
- Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes., until the Pork Sausage Ragu is cooked and slightly thickened.
- Once thickened, remove from the heat.
- Serve with cooked pasta of your choice and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Tips for success and FAQs:
My Pork Sausage Ragu is delicious served with many things. Some of my favourites include:
- Crusty bread or my Spelt Focaccia
- Polenta or Gnocchi alla Romana
- Freshly cooked pasta. You can use pasta of your choice. I like to serve it with a short pasta, such as rigatoni or penne as the sauce is caught in the tubular shapes.
You can, in fact, it will benefit from making a day ahead as the flavours will develop. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes, it freezes well. When the Pork Sausage Ragu is cool, add it to an airtight, freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can substitute pork with chicken or beef. You could also use an Italian-style sausage. As sausages are the star of the show, use good quality that you enjoy eating.
Definitely, but ensure that your dried herbs are fresh or the flavour will be dull. As dried herbs are more concentrated, use one third of the amount in the recipe.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
We love an easy dinner recipe! Here are some more of our favourite dishes:
- Cheese and Herb Filo Pie
- Mediterranean Beef Stew
- Chicken and Quinoa Salad
- Mediterranean Chicken Casserole
My Easy Pork Sausage Ragu will become a regular part of your pasta rotation. It is quickly and easily made from simple ingredients, is an economical meal and is family friendly - all good reasons to give it a try.
Alex xx
Pork Sausage Ragu
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil See Note 1
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion - finely diced
- 1 medium carrot - finely diced
- 1 celery stalk - finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary - finely chopped See Notes 1 and 2
- 500 g (1.1 lb) pork sausages See Note 3
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) red wine See Note 4
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf - fresh or dried
- 400 g (14 oz) tinned crushed tomatoes See Note 5
- 1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock See Note 6
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
To serve:
- crusty bread, pasta, polenta See Note 7
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over low heat and cook the onion, celery and carrot for 5-7 minutes until soft.
- Add crushed garlic and chopped rosemary leaves.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Squeeze the sausage meat out of their casings into the pan and fry until brown, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, approximately 5 minutes.
- Pour in the wine to deglaze the pan and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes until evaporated.
- Add tomato paste and bay leaf, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook for 1 minute, stirring.
- Add the diced tomatoes and stock.
- Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Check that the seasoning is to your taste.
- Serve the ragu with freshly cooked pasta, crusty bread or polenta and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan and finely chopped parsley.
Notes
- The Australian tablespoon is 4 teaspoons or 20 ml. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 3 teaspoons or 15 ml. Please adjust your measurement if necessary.
- Strip the leaves from the stem of rosemary and finely chop them. If using dried rosemary, use one-third of the fresh.
- I have used finely ground, mildly flavoured pork sausages. However, you could use chicken or beef if you prefer or an Italian-style sausage.
- Use a full-bodied wine that you will enjoy drinking. If you prefer to not use wine, just substitute with additional stock/broth.
- If your tinned tomatoes are very acidic, add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavours.
- Use a homemade or good quality commercial stock of your choice. It can be chicken or vegetable.
- Serving suggestions for this Pork Sausage Ragu: Pasta (allow 80 g/2.5 oz of dried pasta per person - cook in salted water until al dente), my Spelt Focaccia, Gnocchi alla Romana or Polenta.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on four servings. It does not include what the ragu is served with. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Debra says
I made this tonight for dinner. We loved it. I didn't have celery for I used some green bell pepper and used dried Italian herbs. We giving it five stars. 🤩
Alexandra says
Hi Debra, I am delighted to hear that you enjoyed the Pork Sausage Ragu and that your substitutions worked well. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂
Maureen C says
Fabulous recipe! The entire family loved it. I didn’t have wine on hand, so I used Balsamic, and I served it over fusilli. It was delicious! I’ll be sure to try it with wine next time. We’re huge soft polenta fans, so we’re eager to try it with polenta. Thank you!
Alexandra says
Hi Maureen, thank you for your fantastic feedback on the Pork Sausage Ragu. I am delighted that you enjoyed it with fusilli and agree that it will also be delicious with soft polenta. I appreciate that you took the time to comment. 🙂
Janet Craig says
No fuss and very tasty ! It will become a favourite mid week pasta dish. Many thanks.
Alexandra says
That's great to hear, Janet - thank you! 🙂