Indulge in a symphony of flavors with Chef John's Penne Pasta with Spicy Sausage Ragu, a culinary masterpiece that tantalizes your taste buds with its hearty and robust flavors. This delectable dish features succulent Italian sausage, sautéed with aromatic vegetables and simmered in a rich tomato sauce, creating a savory and spicy ragu that perfectly coats tender penne pasta. The addition of fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and a touch of cream adds a layer of complexity and richness, making each bite an explosion of flavors. This article provides two variations of the recipe - one with traditional pork sausage and another with spicy Italian sausage. Both versions offer a unique taste experience, catering to different preferences. Whether you prefer a classic or a kick of spice, Chef John's Penne Pasta with Spicy Sausage Ragu is sure to become a favorite in your kitchen.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
SAUSAGE RAGù
Meat sauce is one of the recipes many American home cooks start with. It seems so easy; brown some hamburger, pour in a jar of marinara, and presto! Meat sauce. Not so fast, friends. Made that way, your sauce may be thin-tasting, sour, sweet, or - worst of all - dry and chewy. Meat sauce with deep flavor and succulent texture isn't harder to make; it just needs more time and a low flame. This recipe from the New York chef Sara Jenkins, who grew up in Tuscany and has cooked all over Italy, shows how it's done. Caramelization is involved; dried pasta and canned tomatoes are best practice; and pork, not beef, is the meat of choice. If your sausage meat seems timidly flavored, feel free to add chopped garlic, chile flakes, fennel seed and/or dried herbs like oregano and sage to the meat as it browns.
Provided by Julia Moskin
Categories dinner, pastas, sauces and gravies, main course
Time 2h
Yield About 3 cups
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- With the tip of a small, sharp knife, slit open the sausage casings. Crumble the meat into a wide, heavy skillet or Dutch oven and set over medium-low heat. If the meat is not rendering enough fat to coat the bottom of the pan as it begins to cook, add olive oil one tablespoon at a time until the meat is frying gently, not steaming. Sauté, breaking up any large chunks, until all the meat has turned opaque (do not let it brown), about 5 minutes.
- Add onion, carrot, celery and parsley and stir. Drizzle in more oil if the pan seems dry. Cook over very low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables have melted in the fat and are beginning to caramelize, and the meat is toasty brown. This may take as long as 40 minutes, but be patient: It is essential to the final flavors.
- Add tomatoes and their juice, breaking up the tomatoes with your hands or with the side of a spoon. Bring to a simmer, then add thyme and rosemary and let simmer, uncovered, until thickened and pan is almost dry, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Mix tomato paste with 1 cup hot water. Add to pan, reduce heat to very low, and continue cooking until the ragù is velvety and dark red, and the top glistens with oil, about 10 minutes more. Remove herb sprigs. Sprinkle black pepper over, stir and taste.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil pasta until just tender. Scoop out 2 cups cooking water, drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Quickly add a ladleful of ragù, a splash of cooking water, stir well and let cook 1 minute. Taste for doneness. Repeat, adding more cooking water or ragù, or both, until pasta is cooked through and seasoned to your liking.
- Pour hot pasta water into a large serving bowl to heat it. Pour out the water and pour in the pasta. Top with remaining ragù, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Pass grated cheese at the table, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 276, UnsaturatedFat 7 grams, Carbohydrate 32 grams, Fat 12 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 321 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
PENNE WITH SPICY SAUSAGE
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add the onion to the saucepan and cook, stirring, until coated with the sausage drippings. Reduce the heat slightly and add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir until the mixture has softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce to the onion mixture. Stir until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cooked sausage. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the penne and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Add the sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan, if using, toss and serve.
CHEF JOHN'S PENNE PASTA WITH SPICY SAUSAGE RAGU
Steps:
- Cook sausage and parsley until done, pour in wine and cook until reduced but not burned, stir in marinara, water and cream. Simmer for 1hr. Combine with cooked pasta and serve with cheese.
SPICY SAUSAGE RAGU
With all the options for different kinds of sauces and types of sausage, it goes without saying that you can embellish this a hundred different ways, and I hope you do.
Provided by Chef John
Categories Side Dish Sauces and Condiments Recipes Sauce Recipes Pasta Sauce Recipes Meat Sauce
Time 1h45m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in parsley and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in white wine and cook until the wine has nearly evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream, increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir in marinara sauce and water and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce for 1 hour.
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in penne, and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.
- Combine pasta and sauce; remove from heat, cover and let sit for about 2 minutes.
- Serve pasta and sauce topped with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 831.4 calories, Carbohydrate 88.7 g, Cholesterol 99 mg, Fat 34.1 g, Fiber 6.5 g, Protein 40 g, SaturatedFat 14.5 g, Sodium 2165.3 mg, Sugar 12.4 g
ITALIAN TOMATO SAUSAGE RAGU WITH PENNE
I use Chianti wine for this recipe but any good dry red wine will do, this can be made using a mixture of ground beef and pork but Italian sausage meat is so much better --- if possible prepare this a day ahead and refrigerate to allow flavors to blend just rewarm on top of the stove
Provided by Kittencalrecipezazz
Categories Penne
Time 1h40m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat.
- Add in the sausage meat, garlic, oregano and pepper flakes; sauté until brown, breaking up the meat with a fork (about 7 minutes).
- Add in finely chopped carrots, onion and celery; sauté for about 10 minutes.
- Mix in chopped tomatoes; reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in 1 cup broth and wine; simmer uncovered until liquid is slightly reduced (about 20 minutes).
- Add in the fresh basil; cover and simmer until the veggies are very tender, stirring occasionally.
- Continue to simmer for about 45-50 minutes, adding in more broth by about 1/4 cup if the liquid evaporates to quickly, and cook until the Ragu thickens to desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just firm-tender; drain but reserve about 1/2 cup cooking water.
- Return the pasta to the pot; add in the Ragu; mix to combine.
- Add in about 1/2 - 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and 2-3 tablespoons olive oil; mix to combine.
- If the mixture seems too dry then add in some of the reserved cooking water from the pasta.
- Season with more salt and pepper.
- Divide on plates and top with more cheese.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 650, Fat 33.6, SaturatedFat 11.4, Cholesterol 54.6, Sodium 1391.4, Carbohydrate 59.4, Fiber 8.9, Sugar 6, Protein 27.4
PENNE WITH SPICY SAUSAGE RAGU
Make and share this Penne With Spicy Sausage Ragu recipe from Food.com.
Provided by ratherbeswimmin
Categories Penne
Time 1h
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat oil in a skillet; cook onion and garlic over med-high heat, stirring often, until soft and pale gold, 5 minutes.
- Add in sausage; cook/stir to break up, until browned, 10 minutes.
- Add in red pepper flakes, fennel, oregano, tomato paste, and chopped tomatoes.
- Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 minutes.
- Add in cream; cook, stirring until heated through.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta in a big pot of boiling salted water, until al dente; drain.
- Add pasta to hot sauce; toss well to coat; serve immediately with Parmesan on top.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 866.2, Fat 43, SaturatedFat 16.3, Cholesterol 86.7, Sodium 741.4, Carbohydrate 102.3, Fiber 14.7, Sugar 4.9, Protein 21.7
Tips:
- Use a large pot or Dutch oven to cook the ragu, as it will need plenty of space to simmer and reduce.
- Brown the sausage and vegetables over medium heat to develop flavor without burning them.
- Add a splash of red wine to the pot to deglaze it and add depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Use a good quality canned tomato sauce, as it will make a big difference in the final flavor of the dish.
- Season the ragu with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Cook the penne pasta according to the package directions.
- Serve the pasta with a generous helping of ragu and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
Conclusion:
Chef John's penne pasta with spicy sausage ragu is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The combination of spicy sausage, rich tomato sauce, and al dente pasta is sure to please everyone at the table. With a few simple tips, you can make this dish at home and enjoy a restaurant-quality meal in the comfort of your own kitchen.
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