Best 6 Italian Ragu With Meatballs And Sausage Recipes

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Indulge in a culinary journey to Italy with our authentic Italian Ragu recipe, a hearty and flavorful dish that captures the essence of Italian cuisine. Simmered to perfection, this rich and savory ragu features a combination of ground beef, pork, and Italian sausage, enveloped in a luscious tomato sauce. Perfectly complementing the ragu are tender and juicy meatballs, adding an extra layer of depth and texture to this classic dish. Served over al dente pasta, this Italian Ragu with Meatballs and Sausage is a true feast for the senses, promising to transport you to the heart of Italy with every bite.

In addition to the main ragu recipe, this article also includes a delightful selection of related recipes that will further enhance your Italian culinary experience. Discover the secrets of preparing homemade pasta dough from scratch, ensuring the perfect canvas for your ragu. Elevate your meatballs with a tantalizing recipe that guarantees tender and flavorful results every time. And for those who prefer a vegetarian option, a meatless ragu recipe offers a delicious and satisfying alternative. With step-by-step instructions and a treasure trove of tips, this comprehensive article provides everything you need to create an unforgettable Italian meal that will impress your family and friends.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

RAGú NAPOLETANO (NEAPOLITAN-STYLE ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE WITH PORK, BEEF, AND SAUSAGE) RECIPE



Ragú Napoletano (Neapolitan-Style Italian Meat Sauce with Pork, Beef, and Sausage) Recipe image

If you were to pick a president and el tigre numero uno of the ragù world, it'd be ragù Napoletano, a meaty stew with big chunks of beef, pork, and sausages simmered until fall-apart tender in a rich tomato sauce flavored with wine, onions, garlic, basil, and plenty of good Southern Italian olive oil. It's the precursor to Italian-American Sunday gravy: just add some meatballs, serve it with spaghetti, and you're there. It's also the perfect dish for a lazy Sunday with family or friends at home.

Provided by J. Kenji López-Alt

Categories     Mains     Sausage     Soups and Stews     Sauce

Time 4h

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 15

3 pounds pork spare ribs (about 1/3 large rack), cut into three chunks
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch strips
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 medium cloves garlic, finely minced , divided
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups dry red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, preferably D.O.P. San Marzano, crushed by hand in a large bowl
1 (2- to 3-inch) Parmesan rind (optional)
1 bunch fresh basil
1 pound mild sausage, in the casings (see note)
1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
8 to 10 servings fresh or dried pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Steps:

  • To serve, cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until just shy of al dente (about 1 minute for fresh pasta or 1 minute short of recommended cooking time for dried pasta). Drain, reserving about 1 cup of starchy pasta water. Return pasta to the pot you just cooked it in and add half of ragù, half of pasta cooking water, and a handful of grated cheese. Cook over high eat, stirring until the sauce emulsifies with the pasta water and clings to the pasta, adding more pasta water if necessary. Serve immediately, passing additional sauce, cheese, and remaining fresh basil at the table.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 882 kcal, Carbohydrate 52 g, Cholesterol 179 mg, Fiber 4 g, Protein 54 g, SaturatedFat 14 g, Sodium 583 mg, Sugar 7 g, Fat 50 g, ServingSize Serves 8 to 10, UnsaturatedFat 0 g

HEARTY ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND MEATBALL STEW #RAGU



Hearty Italian Sausage and Meatball Stew #Ragu image

Ragú® Recipe Contest Entry. A nice thick tomato based soup loaded with Italian sausage, meatballs and vegetables. This is a wonderful meal for a cold day. Just add a salad and a hearty, crusty bread for dunking and you have a perfect meal.

Provided by Souxie

Categories     Sauces

Time 1h10m

Yield 1 cup servings, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 (24 ounce) jar Ragú® Pasta Sauce (meat creations sweet italian sausage and cheese sauce)
3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans beef broth
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, undrained
1 (15 1/2 ounce) can black beans, undrained
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
8 ounces uncooked pasta (your favorite kind)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, cooked and sliced thin
1 lb frozen prepared italian style meatballs, thawed
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (garnish)

Steps:

  • Place a 4-5 quart Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, green pepper, zucchini and salt. Mix well. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often, until just heated through. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Mix well. Add the Ragu sauce, beef broth, garbanzo beans, black beans and diced tomatoes. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta and cook until pasta is al dente. Add the sausage and meatballs. Mix well and bring to a simmer to heat through.
  • Top each individual serving with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 389.9, Fat 12, SaturatedFat 3.2, Cholesterol 18.1, Sodium 1228.2, Carbohydrate 49, Fiber 8.1, Sugar 3.7, Protein 22.3

MEATBALL-SAUSAGE SUBS



Meatball-Sausage Subs image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Time 8h30m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 28-ounce cans whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces), plus 1 small piece parmesan rind
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
2 large eggs
1 1/2 pounds sweet and/or hot Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 loaves Italian bread, cut into 3-inch pieces and split open
Shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping

Steps:

  • Combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves and parmesan rind in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add 1 cup water, 1/4 cup parsley, 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
  • Combine the breadcrumbs and milk in a medium bowl; soak 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the beef, eggs, 1 cup parmesan, the remaining 1/4 cup parsley and 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add the breadcrumb-milk mixture and mix with your hands until combined. With damp hands, shape into 24 meatballs, about 1 1/2 inches each; transfer to the slow cooker.
  • Add the sausage pieces to the slow cooker, then cover and cook on low, 7 hours. Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Serve on the bread and top with mozzarella.

ITALIAN MEATBALLS AND SAUSAGES



Italian Meatballs and Sausages image

Here's a wonderful appetizer for the big game or any family function. Very easy to prepare and also very tasty. I've doubled and even tripled the recipe for large to huge groups. No matter how much I make, I always come home with an empty slow cooker. -Jan Kasinger, Graham, Washington

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Appetizers

Time 4h10m

Yield 8 cups.

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 pounds frozen fully cooked Italian meatballs, thawed
1 bottle (16 ounces) zesty Italian salad dressing
1 package (14 ounces) miniature smoked sausages
2 cups medium fresh mushrooms, stems removed
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained

Steps:

  • Combine all ingredients in a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low until heated through, 4-6 hours, stirring every hour.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 200 calories, Fat 16g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 29mg cholesterol, Sodium 663mg sodium, Carbohydrate 4g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 9g protein.

MOM'S SUNDAY DINNER: ITALIAN RAGU WITH MEATBALLS AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE



Mom's Sunday Dinner: Italian Ragu with Meatballs and Italian Sausage image

Mom's usual Sunday dinner served with Rigatoni, Cavatelli, Gnocci, Spaghetti or whatever pasta on hand. Real Italian sauce is made with very few ingredients, but so full of flavor. The meat in this recipe also flavors the sauce. Nothing beats my mom's Sunday dinner although it has slowed down since my father's passing but when...

Provided by Annamaria Settanni McDonald

Categories     Other Main Dishes

Time 5h30m

Number Of Ingredients 20

MEATBALLS
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
3 slice italian bread
1/4 c milk
2 eggs
1/4 c chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/3 c pecorino romano cheese
salt and pepper
RAGU
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 clove garlic, peeled and left whole
2 qt crushed tomatoes or plum tomatoes in sauce
12 basil leaves (or oregano) to your liking
salt and freshly ground black pepper
ADDITIONALLY:
2 lb italian sausage, hot
any pasta to serve with sauce
grated parmesan or romano cheese for garnish

Steps:

  • 1. In a large sauce pot (8-quart size minimum), heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil on a very low flame. Add the diced onion and cook slowly until it has turned translucent. Do not brown the onion, but allow it to almost melt away. Add the garlic cloves and very lightly cook them in the oil until golden before adding the tomatoes and all their juices. Add salt and pepper to taste, and the basil leaves and set the heat on low. Allow the tomatoes to cook at very low heat for at least 2 hours before adding the meat.
  • 2. Make the meatballs: mix the ground beef and veal together in a large bowl. Combine the bread and milk and mash together to form a paste; add the bread to the ground meat. Add the eggs, garlic, parsley, cheese, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture and combine all the ingredients using your fingers to mix uniformly, but do not over mix or the meat will dry out when cooked. Pick up 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into a ball shape, between the palms of your hands. Do this until you have used all the meat. This should yield approximately 24 meatballs.
  • 3. Place the remaining olive oil in a heavy skillet and heat over medium flame. Add the meatballs in 1 layer and brown on all sides before removing. Do this to the remaining meatballs until all are browned to a caramelized color. After all the meatballs have been browned and removed from the skillet, add the sausage links and brown well, following the same method as the meatballs. When all the meat has cooked, add to the tomato ragu, which has been cooking for 2 hours and cook an additional hour. Serve the tomato ragu over rigatoni pasta cooked to directions on box. Serve the meats on another plate as a second course or with the pasta. (We always couldn't wait til the second course!)
  • 4. NOTE: If using plum tomatoes, make sure using a wooden spoon while cooking, you break up the tomatoes. You can also freeze this in batches and use when needed.
  • 5. You can make this sauce your own by adding what herbs you like. Oregano or Basil, All Beef Meatballs if you prefer. My mom did all the combinations. MANGIA!

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE WITH SAUSAGE AND MEATBALLS



Italian Spaghetti Sauce With Sausage and Meatballs image

This is one of my favorite recipes to make for friends when we have them over for dinner. Italian is casual, simple to make and inexpensive. Start this early in the day, let it simmer for a few hours and right before the guests arrive, boil your pasta, toast the garlic bread and toss up a Caesar salad...nothing else could be so simple. This recipe makes a full 6 quarts so it will feed an army. It freezes very well so I package the leftovers in containers for simple and delicious weekday meals.

Provided by Carrie September

Categories     Sauces

Time 4h

Yield 6 quarts

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 1/2 lbs sweet Italian sausage
1 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 (29 ounce) cans Contadina tomato sauce
2 (29 ounce) cans of contadina tomato puree
2 minced garlic cloves
3 tablespoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 (18 ounce) can Contadina tomato paste
1 tablespoon beef base
3 lbs ground beef
1 1/2 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 large eggs

Steps:

  • Cut the sausage links in half and place them into a 6 quart stock pot.
  • Add the olive oil and garlic, stir to coat; brown on medium heat stirring often to keep them from burning.
  • Add the tomato sauce, puree, basil, oregano and salt to the browned sausage and reduce heat to low; cover and slow simmer.
  • MEATBALLS.
  • Mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, Worcestershire and eggs together in a bowl.
  • Shape meatballs into size of your choice and place into a shallow glass baking pan.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F and bake meatballs from 20-40 minutes depending upon size.
  • Add meatballs to the sauce and let simmer for 3 hours;stir occasionally and skim the fat off the top so the sauce is not greasy when it is done.
  • Add the tomato paste 1 hour before the sauce is done to thicken it up.
  • 1/2 hour after adding the tomato paste test the sauce; if it is too sweet from the paste add the beef base to counteract the sweetness--if not, leave this out and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1497.7, Fat 83, SaturatedFat 30, Cholesterol 328, Sodium 5382.9, Carbohydrate 92.6, Fiber 15.5, Sugar 38.8, Protein 101.8

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the ragu will be. Use fresh, flavorful tomatoes, ground beef, and Italian sausage. You can also add other vegetables to the ragu, such as carrots, celery, and onions.
  • Brown the meat: Browning the meat adds flavor and depth to the ragu. Be sure to brown the meat in batches so that it doesn't overcrowd the pan and steam instead of browning.
  • Simmer the ragu for a long time: The longer the ragu simmers, the more flavorful it will be. Aim to simmer the ragu for at least 2 hours, or even longer if you have time.
  • Season the ragu to taste: Once the ragu is finished simmering, taste it and adjust the seasoning as needed. You may want to add more salt, pepper, or herbs.
  • Serve the ragu with your favorite pasta or rice: Ragu is a versatile sauce that can be served with a variety of pasta shapes or rice. Some popular options include spaghetti, penne, and macaroni. You can also serve the ragu with polenta or mashed potatoes.

Conclusion:

Italian ragu with meatballs and sausage is a hearty and flavorful dish that is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. By following these tips, you can make a delicious ragu that your family and friends will love.

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