Fettuccini with slow cooked pork sausage ragu
Serves 4 - 6
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 2 hours 30 mins
- 2 tblsp olive oil
- 1kg pork sausages cut into 2cm pieces
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 1 brown onion, diced
- ¾ cup of red wine (cabernet sauvignon is perfect) or chicken
stock
- 3 x 400g tins of diced peeled tomatoes
- ¾ cup of water
- 1 tblsp tomato paste
- 1 small sprig of rosemary
- 10 basil leaves, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh oregano or ½ tblsp dried
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Fettuccini to serve
Moderately heat a 3-4 litre pot and add the olive oil. Add
the pork sausage in batches and allow to cook for 4-5 mins before
stirring. Cook the pieces for another 4-5 mins until golden
brown. Repeat in batches.
When all the sausage is removed, add the garlic and diced onions
and slightly sauté in the pan juices for 3 mins. Pour in the
red wine and use the tip of your spoon to lift off any delicious
bits that are stuck to the pan. Simmer for 5 mins, until the
onions have softened and the wine has reduced by half.
Add the sausage back into the pan, pour in the diced tomatoes,
water and stir in the tomato paste and herbs. Bring the sauce
to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 ½ - 2 hours
partially covered with a lid. The sauce is ready when it's a
deep red colour with a thin film of red oil on the surface - this
is flavour and a testament to a fantastic ragu.
Allow the sauce to sit while you cook the fettuccini in plenty
of salted water as per the packet directions. Serve the pasta
in bowls and top generously with the pork ragu.