Pici and Tuscan Sausage Ragu

A rich and flavour packed Tuscan sausage ragu made with the most good Italian sausages, fennel seeds, red wine and plum tomatoes, cooked to perfection and served with Pici pasta.

This Tuscan sausage ragu is one of our favourite recipes that we've been making for years way before we lived here and used to visit Bella Italia on holiday.

Yes, we're that person that goes on holiday to cook for hours and we love it.

The ragu is simple and extremely easy to make. Ok, it takes a little time but not hours, enough time for the beautiful flavours to develop and the sauce to become, rich and deep in flavour.

Tuscan Sausages

The sausages are the main ingredient and the star of the whole dish so it's extremely important to use high-quality sausages, the best you can get your hands on.

No matter what supermarket or butcher we go to in Italy the sausages like all food are high-quality and full of flavour.

One thing we have noticed about their sausages is that they are well seasoned. Because of this whatever dish we're making with sausages requires hardly if not any added salt, these babies add all the seasoning that's needed.

The sausages (unless they're salsicce piccante) don't have any chili or hot pepper flakes in them instead they are packed full of fennel seeds, rosemary, red wine and garlic.

We love reading the ingredients list on the packages, there are no preservatives or nasties honest, natural food and herbs, no wonder they taste so damn good.

Il Soffritto

The ragu starts like a lot of Italian sauces, stews and soups, with Il Soffritto.

Il Soffritto is simply, finely chopped carrot, celery and white onion sauteed slowly with a little olive oil for about 10 minutes until soft but not brown.

This adds good depth of flavour to many dishes and can even be made in advance to add into weeknight meals for an extra flavour punch.

How to make il soffritto

Finely chop equal amounts of carrot, white onion and celery.

They don't have to be exactly equal amounts, roughly around about the same. For this Tuscan sausage ragu, we use 1 medium sized carrot, 1 celery stick and 1 small white onion.

Saute the chopped veggies in a large pan with a little olive oil.

The key is to saute the veg slowly on a low/medium heat so they soften and release all the good flavours without browning or burning.

Ok let's talk about that Pici pasta though, how good is it?

Pici pasta is famously used for Cacio e Pepe, a cheesy peppery dish that's also frequently called Pici e Pepe which we love to say so much more.

It's thick spaghetti shaped fresh pasta that is so good with many sauces and goes perfectly with this Tuscan sausage ragu.

This sausage ragu is so suited to weeknights, you can make it in advance the day before or freeze it for a speedy supper.

It's also as equally special to have at the weekend. It's that type of dish that could be served up for date night or eaten on the sofa in your pyjamas with a large glass of vino rosso.

For more easy pasta recipes try

• Mafalde pasta with butter and parmesan
• Farfalle pasta with pancetta, chili and garlic
• Creamy butternut squash pasta
• Spicy sausage pasta bake
• Bucatini with roasted red pepper cream sauce

Ingredients

Makes 4 people

• 1 lb Tuscan or Italian sausages ((490g))
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 small white onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 large sprig rosemary
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup red wine ((120ml))
• 28 oz canned plum tomatoes ((800g))
• 3/4 cup water ((200ml))
• salt and pepper
• 1 lbs pici pasta ((500g))

Method

1. Very finely chop the carrot, onion, celery and garlic, set aside. remove the sausages from their casings and add to a large pan under a medium heat. Break the sausages up as they brown using the side of a wooden spoon. Once browned, remove the sausages to a plate and drain any excess fat that's in that pan.

2. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and adjust the heat to medium/low. Add the carrot, celery and onion and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon for around 10 minutes until the veg is soft and the onions are translucent but not brown.

3. Add the sausage meat back to the pan and add the garlic for 1 minute then add the wine. Stir the mixture for 1 minute then add the canned tomatoes and water. Add a good pinch of pepper, the fennel seeds and the sprig of rosemary.

4. Let the ragu simmer for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add another splash of water half way through if it starts to reduce too much.

5. Once the ragu is ready turn it down to the lowest heat possible and bring a pot of salty water to a boil. Add the pici pasta and cook according to packet instructions, once cooked remove the pasta from the water using a spaghetti spoon into the ragu. Toss the pasta through the ragu then serve in large bowls. Serve with grated parmesan.

Kitchen notes

Serves 4-6

Please note this recipe was tested and developed using metric measurements, all imperial measurements are approximate.