Recipe of the Month - Sausage Ragu

What could be better on a cold wet autumnal evening than a bowl of Italian Ragu

What could be better on a cold wet autumnal evening than a bowl of Italian Ragu. This twist on the classic meat based recipe uses quality fresh sausages.

Recipe by Rochdale MasterChef James Donnelly:

• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 red chili, finely chopped
• 500g pork sausages, cut into 1cm pieces
• 125mls red wine of choice
• 1 x 400g tin chopped plumb tomatoes
• 25g tomato puree
• 5g sugar
• 300mls chicken stock (power or cube is fine)
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• 15mls olive oil

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion, garlic and chill and fry for five minutes, until softened and starting to brown.

Add the chopped sausages and stir well, fry for a further five minutes, trying to get an even and rich colour on the sausages.

Stir in the tomato puree before adding the wine. Allow to reduce by half before adding the chopped tomatoes, stock and a generous seasoning of salt, pepper and dried oregano.

Allow to simmer gently for 15 minutes or until the sauce is thickened and the sausages tender. Serve with pasta, crusty bread and the remaining wine.

Serve with a rich full bodied raspberry and savoury Sangiovese commonly used in Chianti.

Enjoy this Tuscan at its best with Chianti Classico. It's from the higher lands between Florence and Sienna. With strict regulations on production and quantities it's usually the higher quality version of mainstream Chianti. 

Food & Wine by Paul Sheerin
Pshearse@gmail.com