A rich, slow-simmered Italian-inspired ragu made with seasoned pork sausages, beef mince, red wine, tomatoes and aromatic herbs, tossed through rigatoni pasta and finished with freshly grated Parmesan. The combination of tender sausage pieces and hearty beef creates a deeply savoury pasta that's perfect for a comforting family dinner.
Prep 20 min
Cook 80 min
Serves 4
Featured
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400 g
rigatoni
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500 g
beef mince
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6
pork sausages
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1 tbsp
olive oil
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1
brown onion
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4 cloves
garlic
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2 tbsp
tomato puree
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1 cup
red wine
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2 cans
chopped tomatoes
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150 ml
beef stock
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1
fresh basil, handful
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1 tsp
dried oregano
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1 tsp
thyme
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2
bay leaves
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1 tsp
sugar
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1 tsp
salt
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1 tsp
black pepper
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75 g
parmesan, to serve
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1
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole or deep saucepan over a medium heat. Finely dice the onion and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until softened and beginning to caramelise, stirring regularly to prevent colouring too quickly.
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2
Meanwhile remove the sausage meat from the skins and break it into small bite-sized pieces - or cook whole and slice after. Add the sausage meat to the pan and cook for 5–6 minutes until browned, allowing some of the edges to caramelise for extra flavour.
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3
Add the beef mince and continue cooking, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until fully browned. Stir in the crushed garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
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4
Mix in the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes to remove its raw taste. Pour in the red wine and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the wine to reduce by around half, concentrating the flavour.
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5
Add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, sugar and most of the chopped fresh basil. Stir everything together thoroughly, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low.
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6
Cover loosely and cook for around 60 minutes, stirring every 10–15 minutes. The sauce should slowly thicken while the sausage becomes tender and the beef develops a rich, meaty flavour. If it becomes too thick, add a small splash of water or stock.
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7
Towards the end of cooking, bring a large saucepan of heavily salted water to the boil. Cook the rigatoni until just al dente according to the packet instructions, reserving a mug of the pasta cooking water before draining.
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8
Remove the bay leaves from the sauce. Stir the cooked rigatoni into the ragu along with a splash of reserved pasta water, allowing the sauce to cling to every piece of pasta.
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9
Divide between warm bowls and finish with the Parmesan, freshly cracked black pepper and the reserved basil leaves. Serve immediately with warm garlic bread for a classic Italian-style meal.