Easy Italian Sausage Ragu with Pappardelle

Sausage ragu with pappardelle in bowls with a fork and herbs in a bowl nearby.

5 from 11 votes

Easy Italian Sausage Ragu with Pappardelle

A simple and flavour packed sausage ragu served with pappardelle - a perfect midweek meal for when you are short on time.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 644kcal

Author: Sasha Hooper

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound fresh pork or venison sausages squeezed out of casings, ~400g
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional)
½ teaspoon chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 shallot finely diced
2 garlic cloves finely minced or grated
1 tablespoon tomato purée (paste)
15 oz can plum tomatoes 400g
⅓ cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
10 oz dried pappardelle 300g

To garnish

freshly grated parmesan
fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil if your pan is prone to sticking. Add the sausage meat along with the Italian seasoning and chilli flakes and break up with a wooden spoon, frying for 7-10 minutes until browned and slightly crispy.
1 pound fresh pork or venison sausages, 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon chilli flakes, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Add the shallot and fry for a few minutes until the shallot begins to soften. Add the garlic and tomato purée and stir and cook for another minute.
1 shallot, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon tomato purée
Add the plum tomatoes and use the wooden spoon to break them up.
15 oz can plum tomatoes
Add the water, sugar, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened and rich looking. Whilst this is simmering, cook your pappardelle according to the packet instructions (mine took 9 minutes). Stir in the parsley, taste and add any additional seasoning.
⅓ cup water, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley, ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 10 oz dried pappardelle
Toss the cooked pappardelle throughout the ragu and loosen down with a little of the water from cooking the pasta if needed. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley.
freshly grated parmesan, fresh chopped parsley

Notes

Making ahead - if you want to make this ragu ahead of time, simply don't add the pasta in at the end, cool it down and store it in an air tight container in the fridge (up to 3 days) until ready to use.

Sausage - in the UK, our sausages are always cased, so in this recipe, simply squeeze the sausage out of the casings and proceed with the recipe. You could also use a packet of sausagemeat. In the US, simply use 1 pound of Italian or other sausage.

Nutrition