I know it’s summer, but sometimes a nice meaty pasta dish just hits the spot. I’ve lightened up this ragout by adding fresh grape tomatoes to the sauce. As the sauce simmers, the tomatoes will begin to break down adding garden-fresh brightness to this satisfying dinner.
Spaghetti with Sausage and Tomato Ragout
Serves 4
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1 medium red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, cut in 1/4-inch dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 cup medium-bodied red wine
1 (15-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, optional
1 pound spaghetti
Grated Parmigiano cheese
Chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and sauté until golden. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat in the pan. Add tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, oregano and chili flakes. Sauté 2 minutes. Add the wine. Bring to a boil and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the plum tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning. If needed, add sugar.
While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain. Serve hot with the sauce spooned over. Garnish with cheese and parsley.
If you like this, you might enjoy these TasteFood recipes:
Roasted Vegetable Lasagne
Shrimp Puttanesca
Linguine with Cherry Tomatoes and Breadcrumb Gremolata
Tasty! A wonderful Friday evening pasta dish.
Cheers,
rosa
This looks like a perfect summer evening dinner for me! This is a wonderful recipe.
Amazing how fresh tomatoes lighten up a sauce for pasta – sometimes I just use raw tomatoes.
It may be summer but I live with fog covered days! And a warm and comforting pasta dinner will soothe the hungry as we wait for our Indian Summer. A splendid recipe!
There’s always a perfect evening for a pasta like this!
Sausage is ALWAYS in season in my book, especially when done up in a fresh dish like this one.
Tomatoes are always wonderful in the summer. I love pasta. Keeps the kitchen cooler since you don’t turn on the oven. So that’s very summery.
Wonderful summer dinner!
Mouth-watering recipe and I can wait to try it. Thanks