Hearty Italian Sausage & Mushroom Ragu (for Pasta or Polenta)
This sausage ragù sauce is deeply flavorful, savory, and surprisingly easy to make. Spicy Italian sausage simmers with mushrooms, tomatoes, red wine, and a hint of cinnamon, reducing into a thick, luxurious sauce. Perfect with pasta or polenta—and versatile enough to use anywhere you’d normally reach for tomato sauce. Naturally gluten-free.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 354kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced into half moons
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 8 oz shiitake mushrooms, or other mixed mushrooms, stems discarded, mushrooms cleaned, and thinly sliced or finely chopped
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme, or rosemary, plus more for serving
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup water
- grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Polenta or pasta
Instructions
- Soak the dried mushrooms. Place the porcinis in a small bowl, then cover with room temperature water. Allow to soak for 10 minutes, then drain and finely chop.
- Brown the sausage. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large pan with deep sides over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned on all sides, about 4-6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a small bowl, leaving the renderings in the pan.
- Cook the mushrooms. Add 2 thinly sliced shallots and 3 chopped garlic cloves, then cook until transluscent and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add 3 Tbsp butter to the pan. When melted, add sliced or chopped mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until browned on all sides.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour in 1 cup red wine, then cook 1-2 minutes, or until wine has reduced by about half.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add 2 Tbsp tomato paste, the crushed tomatoes, 2 Tbsp thyme leaves, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp Kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper and the chopped rehydrated porcini mushrooms. Stir well, then return the browned sausage to the pan and add ½ cup water.
- Simmer the ragu. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for at least 30 minutes, though longer is okay. Stir occasionally and check to make sure the heat isn't too high (otherwise the bottom will burn).
- Serve immediately. Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust seasoning as needed, then serve immediately over polenta or pasta. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and extra thyme leaves.
Nutrition
Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 873mg | Potassium: 656mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 491IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @wellseasonedstudio and hashtag it #wellseasonedstudio!
