Name: Rigatoni with ‘embarrassingly simple’ sausage and red wine ragu
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 500g Italian pork sausages,removed from their casings; ¼ tsp chilli flakes; 500ml chicken stock; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 400g tomato passata; 60ml red wine; ½ tsp fennel seeds; salt and black pepper; 500g dried rigatoni pasta; grated parmigiano reggiano,to serve

Combine all the ragu ingredients in a pot and simmer for an hour.William Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:4-6

I’ve been making this pasta for years. It’s embarrassingly simple:essentially,you just combine all the ragu ingredients in a pot and simmer for an hour – no slicing,dicing or chopping required. Just choose good-quality,Italian-style sausages and trust them to provide all the seasoning you need. All that’s left to do is to toss the cooked rigatoni in the sauce;this meal will taste as if you’ve been working on it all day.

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500g Italian pork sausages,removed from their casings
¼ tsp chilli flakes
500ml chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
400g tomato passata
60ml red wine
½ tsp fennel seeds
salt and black pepper
500g dried rigatoni pasta
grated parmigiano reggiano,to serve

Method

Step1
To make the ragu,combine all the ingredients,except the dried pasta,in a medium-sized pot and bring to a simmer over medium to high heat.
Step2
Place the lid ajar on the pot and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer gently for 1 hour.
Step3
Uncover the pot and taste for seasoning;adjust if necessary. Remove from the heat and use a fork or a potato masher to break down the pork sausage. Set aside.
Step4
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta,according to the package instructions,until al dente. Drain,reserving about 200ml of the cooking water.
Step5
Place the sausage ragu back over a medium to high heat and add the drained pasta. Add half the reserved pasta water and stir vigorously. If needed,add a little more water so the sauce coats all the pasta.
Step6
Divide into bowls and top with the freshly grated parmigiano reggiano.