Sausage Ragu Rigatoni (that doesn't take all day)

Created with De Cecco -  As always, recipe, photos, thoughts and words are my own.

Sausage Ragu Rigatoni -  A hearty and rich ragu dinner made easy by using quick cooking and flavorful sausage.

Don't you love thick, hearty meals this time of year?  Mmmm, I know.  Me too.

You know what I don't love?  Spending 3+ hours slow cooking meats and sauces to develop flavors on a random Wednesday.

I've mentioned (okay, maybe more than once) that this time of year, around the holidays, is especially busy with having to deal with all 5 of our birthdays too.  Something that a lot of people I know, can't grasp, is that being busy doesn't necessarily mean sacrificing quality and flavor in their meals.

Most of my friends, when they get busy, grab a frozen meal or take out and then complain to me about it.  They ask me what I've created for dinners that week and when I tell them, they say things like "wow, where do you find the time?".  Time?  I don't have time.  It's just a matter of figuring out the best way to develop flavor, in the shortest amount of time.

Take this Sausage Ragu Rigatoni dish for example.  Most ragu dishes have deep, rich flavors that start off with braising a big cut of meat for hours upon hours.  Well, what I've gone and done to make my life easy, is used sausage.  Italian sausage comes already fully infused with tons of great flavors, plus, it cooks up rather quickly. I've made this recipe both with Sweet Italian Sausage and also with a combination of Sweet & Hot Italian Sausage. 

You'll notice that I've used very little in the way of spices or difficult ingredients.  And yet, I haven't sacrificed anything.

I have one other big tip when trying to keep dishes easy without sacrificing quality and it is choosing your pasta wisely.  Believe me, there is a big difference in pasta quality.  For this recipe, I have chosen to use De Cecco Rigatoni.

Okay, so what makes De Cecco any different than all the mainstream pasta in the grocery store?  Well, for starters, De Cecco is not a mainstream pasta, it is a premium Italian pasta.  You know this good Italian girl is going to love that, right?  Also, De Cecco pasta is made exclusively with the highest quality durum semolina and natural spring water.

Okay, so now you probably want to know what durum semolina is, don't you?  It's a good thing I like to go on and on about all things food (especially Italian food), now isn't it?

You probably think durum semolina is like plain old flour, huh?  Well, you're wrong!  Sorry. Durum Semolina is the purest part of the "hard" wheat variety and it has a coarse granular texture.   It is the durum semolina's high protein content that not only makes De Cecco pasta firm but it keeps it firm.  So, when a gal like me is cooking dinner, and her little "darlings" distract her for a few minutes, towards the end of the pasta cooking time, it's okay.  The extra minute or two isn't going to make this pasta mushy.  Got that?  NO MUSHY PASTA.  I know.  Game Changer.

While cooking Italian foods come second nature to me, I know it doesn't to a lot of others.  De Cecco gets that too, which is why I like that their mission is to bring the experience of authentic Italian cuisine to any table.

Shall we get on to the Sausage Ragu Rigatoni recipe?

Like I mentioned before, you can use regular Sweet Italian Sausage or you can sub in half the amount using Hot Italian Sausage.  It really depends on your own flavor preference.  If your local store doesn't sell bulk ground sausage.  It's okay.  Just grab a package of the links and remove the casings.  Voila, ground sausage. 

Oh, I want to bring some attention to the veggies in this dish.  The first time I made this dish, I didn't bother with the food processor.  I just diced up everything and went about my business.  Come dinner time, my husband says "this is really good, I just wish the vegetables weren't so noticeable".  Being the good wife I am, I note this in my brain and carry on.  Fast forward to the next time I make the dish.  I remember the husband's critique and decide to pulse all the veggies in a processor.  While we're eating, he says "you know what, I think I liked it with the carrots bigger." 

Uh, huh. I swear it.  I couldn't make this up.  I infuriatingly, I mean, I politely reminded him that he was indeed the one who asked for the smaller veggies and he laughed and said "I think I want the carrot diced but the celery processed".  Well, I have to draw the line somewhere.   

So, from now on, I'm making this recipe with the veggies processed.  I like the way they brown up and add flavor.  Plus, and this is a big plus, kids don't know they are eating the veggies.  It can be your little secret.  No one needs to know why you're smiling all through dinner.  I won't tell. 

The very best thing about this recipe for Sausage Ragu Rigatoni, in my humble opinion is its rich and flavorful enough to put out on a holiday table (you know this Italian girl ALWAYS has a pasta course on holidays) but because it comes together in just over a half hour, you can make it any night of the week.  Got a friend popping over?  Impress him/her with this dinner.  She will think you've been cooking all day.  Don't tell, just take the compliment!  You're welcome.

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Sausage Ragu Rigatoni

foodyschmoody

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course dinner

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 T olive oil
• 16 oz ground sausage sweet Italian or combo of sweet Italian w/ Hot Italian
• 1 C roughly chopped sweet onion
• 1 C roughly chopped carrot
• ½ C roughly chopped celery
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• ⅔ C red wine dry
• 2 T tomato paste
• 28 oz crushed tomato
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ C freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 lb De Cecco Rigatoni
• Optional: ¼ C freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

 

• Place roughly chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic in food processor. Process until vegetables are almost a paste consistency. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium/high heat. Add sausage to pan. Cook, breaking meat up, occasionally, until browned (It does not need to be cooked completely at this point).
• Push sausage towards the edges of pan. Add onion mixture to pan. Cook about 5 minute, occasionally stirring. Mixture should begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add wine to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wine has reduced at least by half (about 3-5 minutes). Stir in tomato paste. Cook 1 minute. Stir crushed tomatoes into mixture and add bay leaf. Bring mixture just a boil and then reduce heat to medium/low. Simmer 25 minutes.
• While ragu is simmering, prepare De Cecco rigatoni pasta according to package instructions. Before draining pasta, reserve ½ C cooking water.
• Stir drained pasta into ragu mixture. If the mixture seems too dry, stir in small amounts of reserved cooking water, until desired consistency is reached. Stir in cheese.
• Garnish with parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired.
• **Note: remove bay leaf prior to serving

Keyword comfort food, pasta, pork

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Disclosure:  This post is brought to you in partnership with De Cecco.  Thanks for supporting the companies that make our work possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.