Take your meat sauce to the next level by using sausages to make an incredible Sausage Ragu! Like Shredded Beef Ragu, cooking this sausage pasta sauce long and slow gives it time to develop deep, complex flavours. Complete your Italian feast with Garlic Bread and a garden salad with Italian Dressing.
Sausage Ragu Sauce
Butchers put a lot of time and effort into packing flavour and juiciness into sausages. So I almost see it as my duty to show you how we can get so much more out of sausages than throwing on the barbie* or the usual Bangers and Mash!
Enter – Sausage Ragu. This meat sauce gets a massive flavour boost by using sausage meat rather than plain beef mince, as well as cooking it long and slow which gives the sauce time to develop flavour as well as making the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Also, starting with the classic soffritto helps. 🙂 Which might sound fancy but it just refers to sautéing onions, garlic, celery and carrots over low heat to make them beautifully sweet. It’s a secret tip to create an incredible flavour base in dishes.
* Please do not think I am dissing sausage sandwiches! I am a regular at the weekend Bunnings sausage sizzle fundraisers. 🙂
Ingredients in Sausage Ragu
Here’s what you need to make this Sausage Ragu. No fancy ingredients!
The sausages
Beef + pork – I like to use a combination of both pork and beef sausages for the perfect balance of flavour and soft texture. Beef sausages provide the flavour whereas the pork provides the tenderness. Pork is a much softer meat than beef!
You can use just either beef or pork. If you use only beef, the meat in the sauce will not be as tender. If you use only pork, the meat flavour is more mild. However, to be clear, if I only had one of these sausages, I would not hesitate to make this recipe!:)
Sausage quality – Whichever you use, make sure you use good sausages made with more meat and less fillers. Either look at the ingredients list (I aim for 85%+ meat) or look at the sausage – fat specks means better meat, uniform pink colour indicates lots of fillers like the sausages used for fundraiser sausage sizzles (“BBQ sausages”). They can be as low as 55% meat (the rest is flour, maize and non meat things), and often a mix of beef and chicken.
Generally speaking, your friendly local butcher is probably the best source. And he can tell you exactly what goes in his sausages! 🙂
Sausage not in casings – In the US it is common to find sausage meat sold like mince/ground beef, not inside the sausage casings. Lucky you! For the rest of us, just squeeze the meat out. It is not hard.
Other ingredients
Here are the other ingredients for the ragu sauce:
Onion, garlic, carrot and celery – These are the vegetables for the soffrito which is cooked over low heat to make them soften and sweeten which then forms the flavour base for the sauce. This is a classic cooking technique used in cuisines all over the world, from Italian to Mediterranean to Cajun to South American!
Fennel seeds *Secret ingredient!* – Sautéed in the soffrito, it adds a little je ne sais quoi into the sauce. Only those with a very, very refined palette can pick that it’s in there!
Wine – Red wine adds depth of flavour to the sauce and is also what we use to deglaze the pot. this refers to the method of using a liquid to dissolve gold bits stuck on the base of a cooking vessel (in this case, the sausage meat) into a sauce. Those “gold bits” is called “fond” and it’s free flavour! This is a standard cooking technique you’ll see I use regularly for sauces and stews.
Substitute with 0% alcohol wine or more chicken stock.
Chicken stock, low sodium – This with canned tomato makes up the bulk of the liquid for the sauce. I use chicken rather than beef stock because it’s a milder flavour so you can taste the meat flavour better. I always used low sodium stock so I don’t have to worry about sauces being too salty.
Tomato paste – Just a smidge to boost the tomato flavour and help thicken the sauce.
Thyme and bay leaves – The herbs for this pasta sauce. Fresh is best but dried is fine too.
Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – Optional, for a touch of warmth.
Pappardelle pasta
I like to serve this sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta, the wide thick pasta that is sold coiled up, like pictured. The surface is slightly rough so it’s ideal for tossing with thick hearty sauces like this sausage ragu, shredded beef ragu and chicken ragu which clings to the pasta well.
Having said that though, I’d happily serve sausage ragu with any pasta – short or long!
How to make Sausage Ragu
No different to making your favourite Bolognese – just a little extra time for slow cooking!
Soffrito – Cook the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in a large heavy based pot over medium heat for 8 minutes, or until the carrot is soft and sweet. Don’t let the vegetables go golden! This step is key for a really beautiful flavour base for the sauce so don’t rush it.
Cook sausage – Remove the sausage meat from the casings (you literally just squeeze it out) then cook it like you would mince (ground meat). Break it up as you go but don’t get caught up in a frenzy on this step because sausage meat is “stickier” so it won’t crumble as well. We will break it up finer later partway through cooking.
Ragu sauce – Next, cook the tomato paste for 1 minute to remove the raw sour flavour. Then reduce the wine by half to cook out the winey flavour which only takes a couple of minutes. And finally, add the remaining ingredients: canned tomato, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and chilli flakes if using (I always do).
Slow cook #1 (1 hour) – Pop the lid on and put it in the oven for 1 hour at 180°C/350°F (160°C). I always feel like this sounds high for a slow cook but actually, this is the oven equivalent temperature of a very small stove burner on low.
Why oven instead of stove? Just easier because it’s entirely hands off, just stick it in the oven and leave it. No need to worry about the base catching. This sauce is quite thick so if you do use the stove instead, you’ll need to stir quite regularly.
Crush meat – Take the pot out of the oven then use a potato masher to crush the meat into finer pieces. (See step 2 notes about how sausage meat doesn’t crumble as well as mince/ground beef). The meat is tender at this point so it doesn’t take much effort. I usually do about 8 to 10 mashing motions around the pot.
Slow cook #2 (45 minutes) – Then return the pot into the oven for a further 45 minutes to finish slow cooking. Once done, the sauce will be quite thick, like pictured above, with quite intense flavour. This is what we want because a) the thickness will be loosened up when tossed with pasta; and b) the sauce gets dispersed through pasta so the flavour gets diluted. So the sauce flavour should be intense in the pot so it’s the right level of flavoursome once tossed through the pasta!
Tossing pasta with sauce – essential step!
Pasta cooking water – Cook the pasta per the packet directions in a large pot of salted water. Just before draining, scoop out a big jug of the pasta cooking water which we will use in the next step. The starch in the water is what helps the sauce cling to the pasta.*
Tossing pasta with sauce – If you are making a full batch, then just add the pasta into the ragu pot set over medium heat on the stove. If you are making a smaller batch as I do in the video (I am making enough for 2 servings) then return the drained pasta into the same pot you cooked the pasta in.
Pasta sauce – Add the pasta sauce into the pasta (obviously this step is not relevant if you put the pasta into the pasta sauce pot!!).
Pasta cooking water – Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. This loosens up the thick pasta sauce so it coats the pasta strands. The reason we use the pasta cooking water is because it has starch in it from the pasta. This starch reacts with the fat in the pasta sauce and makes the sauce thicker so it clings to the pasta strands better, rather than remaining pooled at the bottom of your pasta bowl.
Toss, toss, toss! Then use two spatulas to toss the pasta for 1 minute, or until the pasta sauce is tangled throughout and clinging to the pasta, and the pasta strands are stained red. Use an extra slosh of pasta cooking water if you need to loosen things up.
Warmed bowl – Divide the pasta between bowls. I like to warm the pasta bowls beforehand (30 seconds in the microwave!) to keep the pasta slippery and warm for longer. Cold pasta = dry pasta!
Serve with a shower of freshly grated parmesan. Then, the picture taker in me couldn’t resist finishing with a pinch of parsley, but it’s totally unnecessary in real life and if you came to my house and I made this for you, said pinch of parsley would not be present.
This is one for the weekend. For lazy Sundays. Serve with garlic bread, rocket or baby spinach salad with balsamic dressing and finish with tiramisu. Reserve a seat for me at your table!! 🙂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta
Ingredients
Sausage ragu:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion , finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 carrot , peeled and grated using a box grater (Note 1)
- 2 celery stalks , grated using a box grater (Note 1)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 350g / 12 oz pork sausages , meat removed from casings (Note 2)
- 350g / 12 oz beef sausages , meat removed from casings (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup pinot noir red wine (sub 0% alcohol red wine or more chicken stock)
- 1 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
- 400g/14 oz can crushed tomato
- 3 thyme sprigs (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 2 bay leaves (fresh better, else dried)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), optional (for hint of heat)
To serve:
- 500g/ 1 lb pappardelle pasta , or other pasta (80g/2.8oz per serving) (Note 3)
- Parmesan or parmigiano reggiano , finely grated, for serving
- Parsley , finely chopped, optional garnish (just a pinch)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
- Soffrito – Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot (with a lid) over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and fennel seeds. Cook for 8 minutes until the carrot is soft and sweet, but not golden.
- Cook sausage – Turn the heat up to high and add the sausage. Cook, breaking it up as you go, as best you can. It doesn't crumble as well as mince/ground meat but that's ok, we will break it up more later.
- Deglaze – Once the meat is no longer pink (it doesn't really brown), add the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and let it simmer rapidly for 2 minutes until reduced by half, stirring regularly to scrape the base of the pot clean.
- Slow cook #1 (1 hr) – Add the remaining ragu ingredients. Stir, bring to a simmer, put the lid on and place it in the oven for 1 hour.
- Slow cook #2 (45 min) – Remove from the oven and use a potato masher to mash the meat finer. Put the lid back on, and return to the oven for 45 minutes. The sauce will be quite thick, it gets loosened when tossed with the pasta.
- Salt – Taste and add more salt if desired. (Sausages vary in saltiness so I always start with less)
Pasta:
- Cook pasta – Cook the pappardelle according to the packet instructions. Just before draining, scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water and set it aside.
- Toss with sauce – Have the ragu pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the pasta into the pot along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cook water. Use two spatulas to toss the pasta until the ragu is tangled in the pasta strands and it is stained red from the sauce. Use extra pasta cooking water if needed to loosen it up.
- Serve in pre-warmed bowls, garnish with parmesan and a pinch of parsley if desired. Eat immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published in February 2016. Recipe improved in February 2024 with improved sauce flavour and consistency, writing tidied up, much improved video. And most important, Life of Dozer section added!
Life of Dozer
And then I published it.
I am so excited to eat this for dinner tonight! A few weeks ago we ate at an amazing Italian restaurant and I had something very similar looking to this recipe; it was simply the best Italian food I’d ever eaten! That restaurant is in another state so I wasn’t expecting to ever repeat the experience 🙁 HowEVer, after only tasting this sauce a little ways into the slow simmer, I can tell it’s going to be delicious! I can’t believe how very close it tastes to that entree I ordered. What luck!!! I don’t usually post reviews before actually eating the meal, but I can tell by that sample taste it’s going to be great. Thanks in advance for sharing!
Hi Nagi,
This is probably a silly question but when using the slow cooker do you cook everything on the stove for 2 1/2 hours and then transfer everything to the slow cooker or do you skip that step and transfer everything over to the slow cooker?
Thank you 🙂
No silly questions around here! 🙂 So do all the sautéing and browning on the stove then for the step where it’s simmered for hours on the stove, tip everything into the slow cooker and do all the simmering in the slow cooker!
Thank you so much for this recipe. It turned out delicious! My partner and I enjoyed it and had left overs for the next night which we couldn’t wait to eat. Love the tip at the end when the magic happens. 🙂
I’m so pleased to hear that Jessica ! Thanks for letting me know! N xx ❤️
Thank you for this recipe! I made this the other day and my wife and I ate some after 8 hours in the slow cooker. It was amazing. I then put in some more stock and wine in and left it overnight to cook for a total of 24 hours. It probably wasn’t the best idea, because the meat had dried out a little by that point, but the flavours became really deep and complex.
Will definitely be making this again!
So glad you enjoyed it Sam, thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Hello Nagi! I came across this amazing recipe for yummy Ragu and had a couple of questions….I am wanting to make this for 12-14 people and was wondering if this recipe would be more than enough to feed that many? I know it says it feeds 8-10 people, but after reading reviews it seems to make quite a bit. Also, if I was transporting this to another location where I wouldn’t have access to a kitchen to cook the pasta, could I cook the pasta ahead and toss with sauce and reserved pasta water prior or would it be gummy and sticky? Last but not least what percentage fat did your ground beef have? Thanks a ton! Looking forward to making this!
Hi Lindsay! Definately need to double the recipe for that many people 🙂 For making ahead, really hoping you have access to a microwave or some way to warm it because it won’t be very nice cold! Here is how I would do it: cook pasta separately, scoop out and keep pasta water. Transport sauce, pasta and water separately then combine at venue and reheat in microwave, stove or even covered in oven. 🙂
With the stove top instructions it says 2 1/2 hours and the slow cooker is 5/6. I’m just wondering given that, if you leave it longer on the stove if that is ok?
Hi Chelsea! I think up to another hour on very low is great, any longer and I think it will get too tender. That can happen! 🙂
Does the 2 1/2 c go over the whole amount of pasta? And save the rest of sauce for later?
Hi Van! yes that’s right 🙂 This freezes so well!
Dear Nagi,
The sauce is cooking on the stove as we speak for a lovely pasta dinner tomorrow.
I’m searching online to find out how many grams 3/4 cup sauce is but I can’t find it. I’ll be serving me and my hubby.
Can you help me out? Thanks in advance!
Greetings,
Daphne (The Netherlands)
ps. this is already the 10th recipe of yours that I will be serving my husband. We love it!
Hi Daphne, sorry for the late response! Hmm, that’s a tough one, I am guessing you need 3/4 cup of sauce per serving? I would use around 400 – 500g of this sauce to serve 2 people. Hope that helps!
Thank you for the reply!
I ended up using around 450 grams which was perfect. So your guess is perfect.
It tasted wonderful and I have 4 more batches in the freezer (nog for long) 🙂
Awesome!! N xx
First off… I’m not sure what is up with British Columbia, but I went to 2 supermarkets and could not find Pappardelle!!! II was a bit discouraged but I ended up substituting it with Tagliatelle… I assembled this dish before I went to work today in my slow cooker… As soon as I opened the door when arriving home, I knew I was in for another good meal courtesy of you… It was delicious, I was a bit confused at first wondering why It was a bit spicy considering the spices that were it it. Took me an hour to figure it out… The Italian sausage I used was a spicy sausage…. It gave it a subtle spicy kick which I loved!!! I came to the conclusion that the Tagliatelle was a good choice. Thank you again for a wonderful meal recipe!!!!
A quick question though: If I was to half this (or any other recipe) do I have to cut down on cooking time? I’m sure the answer is different with every meal but I’m always afraid that it won’t turn out good if I don’t follow recipes exactly.
Angie I live in Victoria BC and thriftys always has pappardelle but it’s in bags no boxes with all the other kinds (preferisco brand I believe) 🙂
I love your determination! This really goes with any pasta, can’t go wrong!! If you halve the recipe, the cook time will reduce by maybe 15 minutes, not by much. You need the cook time for the flavours to develop and the meat to become super tender!
Made this last night. Was looking on line for a recipe to use ingredients I already had at home.i found your recipe and thought why not? My hubby is first generation American from NYC, both mom and dad are Italian so he grew up with the real deal. The only ingredient I was missing was the ground beef, I had ground lamb so I used it instead. Made it as directed and we were not disappointed. It was absolutely delicious. Even hubby who can be an Italian food snob was blown away! I’ve already sent your link to most of my family members. This is definitely a keeper. Thanks!!
Woo hoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Ani, thanks so much for letting me know! N x
Hi Nagi,
Can I use ground chicken and turkey for this one?
Hi Gi! Yep, you sure can! 🙂
AMAZING!!!! This recipe is a keeper, so glad that I read the part do not skip the pasta cooking water you could see the change right before your eyes!!! Thank you for a brilliant recipe I’m in love????
It’s amazing isn’t it!!! Thank you for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it!!
I cooked mine in the slow cooker though, 8 hours on low lid off for the last 45 minutes?
Thanks for the reminder to add slow cooker instructions to the recipe!!!
Hello there Nagi, we have recently eaten this for dinner and it was delightful! Since I live in France, I utilized Toulouse hotdogs which functioned admirably. Your video was truly useful as well, so thank you for yet another incredible formula!
I am SO SO GLAD you enjoyed this Rony! ? Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!!
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Oh my YUM. This recipe actually makes me want winter to last longer. I’m seriously drooling!
BA HA HA! I love your attitude – match the seasons to FOOD!!! 🙂
Although I silently questioned certain things about this recipe (no basil or oregano? only one can of tomatoes? won’t adding the pasta water make it all runny?), I followed it exactly, and it was AMAZING. I am Italian, and although I love my grandfather’s bolognese recipe, this one is SUPERIOR and sooooo delicious!! I even questioned the “this makes a ton” because we have Italian appetites, but it makes a ton & is even better the next day! I gave half of the sauce to my in-laws, and now I want to sneak into their fridge & steal it back!! 🙂 I LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Gasp* No! You can’t say that about your grandpa’s bolognaise!? Let’s just say this is DIFFERENT!!! 🙂 Lora, I honestly think this is the BEST feedback I could ever hope for this recipe. Thank you thank you!!!! PS I’m not one of those bloggers who skimps on serving sizes. I have a…..erm….robust appetite!!!!
Hi Nagi,
I made this last night and it was SUPERB !!
I also made my own pasta and it was sublime,I froze the rest of the Ragu which will easily do another 8 servings 🙂
Again, your a star!!
Thank you
Phil x
YESSSSS!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Phil from Scotland! 🙂 It is definitely a pasta sauce worthy of homemade pasta, so jealous, I really should make my own more often! Have a wonderful weekend Phil! – Nagi from AUSTRALIA ❤️
Hi Nagi, we have just eaten this for supper and it was delicious! Because I live in France, I used Toulouse sausages which worked well. Your video was really helpful too, so thank you for yet another great recipe!
Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it Stephanie!! I love knowing that Toulouse sausages worked so well too! Didn’t doubt that it would, SO delicious when I can get my hands on real ones! Sadly they are hard to come by in Sydney ?
I made this last night and had it in the slow cooker overnight. Tasted it this morning & I can’t wait to have dinner tonight. Thinking of maybe using the sauce for a lasagna, too.
Sharon, I’m so glad you loved it!!! Using a slow cooker for this is perfect 🙂 YES it’s great for lasagna! Poshest lasagna ever!!
Ha Yes Nagi this is my local butcher shop too, although I do try to avoid going there as I would be poor, but if you want artisan meat then this is the place to go. i love their polpette. I love the look of this pasta too. delicious My cooking and shooting schedule goes a bit like this. See it, get excited , cook it. Darn.
NO WAY!!!! I didn’t realise you’re in that area!!!
I would have destroyed that butcher shop! Hanging prosciutto and piled-high buffalo mozzarella – at the very least I would have destroyed my savings! I love when places like that inspire you to create – and this bowl is certainly a..maz…ing! Pappardelle is one of my favorite pastas too – I just love those ribbons!
It would have been a war zone if we were in there together 🙂