Ingredients (9)
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage, casing removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 28-ounce can crushed tomato
- Salt
- Red pepper flakes
- 1 pound cooked pappardelle pasta (or other type of long flat pasta noodle)
- Serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil
Sausage makes any dish so much more flavorful than just plain ground meat. In this simple recipe for Bolognese sauce, we replace the ground beef with Italian sausage. Serve it with our Caesar Salad recipe, and finish off your Italian-themed dinner with a fluffy, rich dessert like our Ricotta Cheesecake with Passionfruit recipe.
Game plan: Be sure to cook your pasta ahead of time, so it’s ready to mix with the sauce here. Pro tip: Double the recipe and freeze half of the Bolognese sauce for later.
Instructions
- 1In a large Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks with a wooden spoon. Remove the sausage from the pan and discard all but approximately 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat from the pan.
- 2Return the pan to medium heat and add the onions and garlic and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- 3Return the sausage to the pan and add the tomatoes as well as a large pinch of salt and red pepper flakes. Cook the Bolognese sauce over medium high for about 5 to 7 minutes or until reduced by half.
- 4Add the cooked pasta to the pan and gently toss to combine with the Bolognese sauce. Serve warm with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.