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.
2tablespoonfresh rosemary - finely choppedSee Notes 1 and 2
500g(1.1 lb) pork sausagesSee Note 3
⅓cup(80 ml) red wineSee Note 4
1tablespoontomato paste
1bay leaf - fresh or dried
400g(14 oz) tinned crushed tomatoesSee Note 5
1cup(250 ml) chicken stockSee 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.