Spicy Calabrian Sausage Ragu and Stracciatella

Spicy Calabrian Sausage Ragu made with herbs, garlic, and red wine in a rich tomato sauce, served with stracciatella cheese and Parmigiano on top. A good and impressive pasta that is ready in around 40 minutes.

When we're craving a rich meat ragu but don't have much time, there are two ingredients we always reach for: Italian sausages and passata.

Italian sausages are already packed with flavour, often flavoured with fennel seeds, garlic or chilli and are well seasoned, so they instantly add a depth of flavour.

Passata (called tomato puree in the US) has a richer and more concentrated flavour than chopped or plum tomatoes, which means you can create a flavourful sauce in a shorter amount of time.

This recipe uses Calabrian sausages for a lot of heat and is topped with a cooling, creamy and rich stracciatella cheese. The combination is good and solid when you're looking for something a little extra special for weekends or special occasions.

See the full recipe below, along with our top tips and ingredient swaps. Enjoy!

Ingredient notes

• Calabrian sausages – these extra spicy pork sausages are made with Calabrian chilli paste and fennel seeds. You should be able to find hot Italian sausages in Italian food stores (in the UK, you can get them at M&S). If you don't have access to them, we've listed alternatives below and in the recipe card.
• Soffritto – chop the carrot, celery and onion as fine as you can. Since this is a relatively quick sauce, you want the vegetables to be small, so they cook faster.
• Passata (tomato puree in the US) – as an alternative, you can use finely chopped canned tomatoes (we recommend Mutti Polpa) and add around 1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate.
• Stracciatella – stracciatella means shards or rags in Italian (think of the chocolate shards in stracciatella gelato). Stracciatella cheese is essentially the inside of a burrata, so if you can't find stracciatella, burrata is the solid alternative.
• Red wine – if you don't drink or cook with alcohol, you can leave it out; there's no need to replace it with anything.

Calabrian sausage alternative

Calabrian sausages are made from pork with hot Calabrian chilli paste added. Sometimes they're also made with Nduja (a spicy spreadable salami). Here's what to do if you can't find them.

• Italian sausages with Calabrian chilli paste – you can use regular Italian sausages and add Calabrian chilli paste to taste (around 1 tablespoon for hot).
• Italian sausages with Nduja – you can use regular Italian sausages and add Nduja to taste (we'd go with around 70g/2.5oz and add more as needed).
• Italian sausages plus chilli – you can use Italian sausages and add chilli flakes or fresh red chilli to taste.

More spicy pasta sauces to try

Pasta

Penne all'Arrabbiata: Spicy Italian Tomato Pasta

Pasta

Fileja alla 'Nduja (Spicy Calabrian Nduja Pasta)

Gnocchi

Spicy Sausage Baked Gnocchi

Pasta

Sausage Pasta Bake – Spicy and Creamy

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 400 g (14oz) spicy Calabrian sausages (skins removed (see notes))
• 1 carrot (peeled)
• 1 celery stick
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1-2 sprigs rosemary
• 80 ml (1/3 cup) red wine ((can omit if preferred))
• 400 g (14 oz or 1 and 1/3 cups) passata (tomato puree US)
• 400 ml (1 and 1/2 cups) water
• 150 g (5oz) stracciatella cheese (for serving (or 1 ball of burrata))
• Parmigiano Reggiano (for serving)
• 400 g (14oz) Rigatoni or pasta of choice
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion, then add to a bowl and set aside.

2. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Once hot, add the Calabrian sausages, breaking them up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Fry the sausage meat until well browned (about 4-5 minutes).

3. Remove any excess fat from the pan, making sure only 2-3 tablespoons remain, then add the diced vegetables. Saute the vegetables on a medium heat until soft.

4. Once softened, add the finely chopped garlic, rosemary and bay leaves and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the red wine and let it reduce by half whilst scraping any brown bits from the pan and mixing them into the sauce.

5. Next, add the passata and fill the jar back up with water (400ml/1 and 1/2 cups). Give it a shake, then add the water to the sauce. Season it with salt and pepper, then let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't catch on the bottom.

6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Once boiling, cook your pasta until al dente. Once ready, transfer your pasta to the sauce and stir to coat well in the sauce.

7. Serve in bowls topped with a few spoonfuls of stracciatella cheese (or burrata) and a grating of Parmigiano Reggiano.

Kitchen notes

• Calabrian sausages are made with pork and Calabrian chilli paste. You can use regular Italian sausages and add either Calabrian chilli paste (about 1 tablespoon or more as needed), Nduja (about 2.5oz or 70g) or fresh red chilli as an alternative.
• Prep in advance you can prep the ragu in advance and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove until piping hot. Leftovers with pasta will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 days before the pasta becomes too soft.
• Freezing you can freeze the ragu for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before reheating on the stove until piping hot.