Sausage Ragù and Pasta

Once in a while, I get a craving for pasta in tomato sauce but don't have time or desire to make a long-simmering two or three hour ragù with meatballs, braciole and more. If you've got some Italian sausage and a can of tomatoes (I love those small cherry tomatoes in sauce), you're on your way to a delicious meal in a half hour. If you can find these small gnocchetti, or Sardinian maloreddus, it makes a perfect pairing. Otherwise, look for a small pasta like tiny shells or even rotini. It was a big hit with my husband, who even asked for the recipe so he could make it for his "Jersey Boys" -- childhood friends who visit from around the globe once a year and spend a week with him at the shore house.

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Sausage Ragù and Pasta 

(serves 2)

2 links of Italian sausage (casings removed and broken into bits)

4 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 16-ounce can cherry tomatoes in puree, or 1 can of tomato puree

1/4 cup dry red or white wine 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry basil flakes

a shake of red pepper flakes

1/2 pound small shaped pasta (photo shows Sardinian gnochetti)

freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese to sprinkle on top

Remove the casings from the sausage, break it into chunks and place it in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Cook through and remove from pan. Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil, and the onion. Sauté until soft, then add the garlic and cook until softened. Add the cherry tomatoes (I like to puree them first, right in the can with a stick blender, but if you like a chunky sauce, leave as is), the wine and the seasonings. Return the cooked sausage bits to the sauce. Simmer everything together for a half hour, then boil the pasta and serve with the sauce.

Sprinkle parmesan or pecorino on the pasta.