Weeknight Sausage Ragu

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Sea salt and pepper to taste

• 2 cans diced tomatoes (28 oz / 794 g each; 56 oz / 1588 g total)

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil

• 2 onions, chopped

• 5 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste

• 0.25 cup (60 ml) red wine

• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

• 12 oz (340 g) hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

• 16 oz (454 g) prepared Spaghetti Squash

• 0.25 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil

Preparation

1. Working in batches, pulse the tomatoes with their juices in a food processor until mostly smooth, roughly 10 pulses; transfer to a bowl. Heat the 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and 0.25 tsp (1.3 ml) sea salt and cook until golden brown, approximately 7 minutes.

2. Stir in the garlic and 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the 0.25 cup (60 ml) red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

3. Stir in the bell pepper and the 12 oz (340 g) sausage. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

4. Stir in the processed tomatoes and simmer the sauce until thickened, about 45 minutes.

5. Place the 16 oz (454 g) of prepared spaghetti squash in a large bowl, stir in the sauce and the 0.25 cup (60 ml) basil, and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

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Weeknight sausage ragu is my kind of slow-simmered sauce — it tastes like it cooked all afternoon but only asks for about an hour of mostly hands-off time. Hot Italian turkey sausage, red wine, and sweet peppers melt into a thick tomato ragu that clings to spaghetti squash strands. Make the sauce once and you'll want it in permanent rotation.

Pro Tips

• Pulse the tomatoes in the food processor about 10 times rather than pureeing them — a mostly smooth sauce coats the squash strands instead of pooling watery around them.
• Let the onions cook the full 7 minutes until golden and stir the tomato paste in for a minute before deglazing; that fond and paste carry the depth the quick simmer can't build.
• Use hot Italian turkey sausage with the casings removed and break it up with a wooden spoon as it browns — fine crumbles distribute through the sauce better than big chunks.
• The ragu is even better the next day, so consider doubling it; the flavors meld overnight and it freezes flat in bags for up to 3 months.
• Fresh basil goes in at the very end, stirred with the squash — cooking it longer kills the perfume that makes this taste fresh rather than heavy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the sausage ragu ahead of time?

Yes, and you should. The sauce keeps 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer; reheat gently and stir the basil in just before serving.

How spicy is hot Italian turkey sausage?

It gives a warm hum rather than a fiery burn. For a milder ragu use sweet Italian sausage; for more heat, add red pepper flakes with the garlic.

Can I use another ground meat?

Ground pork, beef, or chicken all work with the same method — brown it well before adding the tomatoes and adjust the salt to suit richer meats like pork.

What do I serve with this ragu besides spaghetti squash?

Roasted spaghetti squash is the pairing here, but the sauce is also great over roasted zucchini noodles, baked potatoes, or a bowl of polenta for the table.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Weeknight Sausage Ragu

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Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

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• 2 cans diced tomatoes (28 oz / 794 g each; 56 oz / 1588 g total)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.25 cup red wine
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 12 oz (340 g) hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 16 oz (454 g) prepared Spaghetti Squash
• 0.25 cup chopped fresh basil

Method

 

1. Working in batches, pulse the tomatoes with their juices in a food processor until mostly smooth, roughly 10 pulses; transfer to a bowl.
2. Heat the 1 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
3. Add the onions and 0.25 tsp sea salt and cook until golden brown, approximately 7 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and 1 tbsp tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Stir in the 0.25 cup red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Stir in the bell pepper and the 12 oz (340 g) sausage.
7. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
8. Stir in the processed tomatoes and simmer the sauce until thickened, about 45 minutes.
9. Place the 16 oz (454 g) of prepared spaghetti squash in a large bowl, stir in the sauce and the 0.25 cup basil, and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve immediately.

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