There is nothing I love more than a big bowl of pasta bolognese. I think it is the most comforting food ever. The longer the sauce simmers the richer it becomes. It is definitely not a weeknight dinner thing but if you’ve got time on a Sunday afternoon I suggest you try it!
I recently discovered a fantastic farm, Southern Ridge Farm, here just outside of Nashville. They have the best Italian sausage (among a lot of other things) that took my usual bolognese recipe to another level. I can’t preach enough about using quality ingredients when making simple recipes like this. AND supporting a local farm is just the right thing to do! If you are in the Nashville area check them out!
Italian Sausage Bolognese
Serves: 4-6, Cook time: 1 hour-ish
Olive oil
1 lb. mild Italian pork sausage
½ a small red onion, chopped
½ a green bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup dry red wine
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
Kosher salt
Crushed red pepper flakes
Pinch of sugar
Splash of heavy cream
¼ cup chopped parsley, divided
¼ cup chopped basil, divided
To serve: cooked pasta (I prefer rigatoni), freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add olive oil.
While pan is heating, chop the onion, bell pepper, and carrot until fine using a food processor. Add vegetables to the pan and saute 2-3 minutes or until starting to become transluscent. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the Italian sausage to the pan and break up using a wooden spoon. Cook 5-6 minutes or until sausage is cooked through.
Add tomato paste to the pan and stir to combine. Cook for one minute. Deglaze pan with red wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Carefully add the tomatoes to the pan (they will splatter!) and crush slightly with your spoon. Add dried Italian seasoning. Season with salt, crushed red pepper and sugar. Bring to a bubble, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour.
After an hour, add most of the parsley and basil, leaving a little for garnish. Stir and check for seasoning. Adjust to your preference. Stir in a splash of heavy cream and simmer for 2 minutes.
Toss bolognese with pasta (I prefer a short noodle like rigatoni or penne) and serve in a big bowl (or bowls) topped with reserved herbs and parmesan cheese.
Source: Ruth’s Table, 2021.
I’m sure you’ve heard this a bunch, but you should do a YouTube Channel.
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