Rigatoni with ‘embarrassingly simple’ sausage and red wine ragu

Name: Rigatoni with ‘embarrassingly simple’ sausage and red wine ragu
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 500g Italian pork sausages, removed from their casings; ¼ tsp chilli flakes; 500ml chicken stock; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 400g tomato passata; 60ml red wine; ½ tsp fennel seeds; salt and black pepper; 500g dried rigatoni pasta; grated parmigiano reggiano, to serve

Danielle Alvarez

July 5, 2024

Combine all the ragu ingredients in a pot and simmer for an hour.William Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:4-6

I’ve been making this pasta for years. It’s embarrassingly simple: essentially, you just combine all the ragu ingredients in a pot and simmer for an hour – no slicing, dicing or chopping required. Just choose good-quality, Italian-style sausages and trust them to provide all the seasoning you need. All that’s left to do is to toss the cooked rigatoni in the sauce; this meal will taste as if you’ve been working on it all day.

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500g Italian pork sausages, removed from their casings
¼ tsp chilli flakes
500ml chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
400g tomato passata
60ml red wine
½ tsp fennel seeds
salt and black pepper
500g dried rigatoni pasta
grated parmigiano reggiano, to serve

Method

Step 1
To make the ragu, combine all the ingredients, except the dried pasta, in a medium-sized pot and bring to a simmer over medium to high heat.
Step 2
Place the lid ajar on the pot and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for 1 hour.
Step 3
Uncover the pot and taste for seasoning; adjust if necessary. Remove from the heat and use a fork or a potato masher to break down the pork sausage. Set aside.
Step 4
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta, according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain, reserving about 200ml of the cooking water.
Step 5
Place the sausage ragu back over a medium to high heat and add the drained pasta. Add half the reserved pasta water and stir vigorously. If needed, add a little more water so the sauce coats all the pasta.
Step 6
Divide into bowls and top with the freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.