Name: Sausage Ragu
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min

One of our members, Kelsey, sent this great recipe along to share with our other members.  So good.  Enjoy!  -Jack

Sausage Ragu is one of my favorite pasta recipes. Its rich, hearty aroma warms up the whole house. You can use a variety of sausages in this dish, but my favorites are Sweet Italian and savory Rosemary Brats. Ragu is traditionally served with pasta, but rice, farro or mashed potatoes would also work well. Feel free to get creative with your ingredients!

Ingredients

1 pound TC Farm sausage (sweet or spicy Italian sausage, rosemary brats etc.)
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 white or yellow onion, minced
1 carrot, minced
1 celery stalk, minced
1 cup(ish) white wine
1 28-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes, with its juice
½ Tablespoon Italian seasoning (or just add a dash of basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, thyme or garlic powder as you see fit)
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound of your favorite dried pasta (spaghetti, penne, fusilli etc.)
Freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

Instructions

If the sausage is in brat form: use a sharp knife to slit open the sausage and remove the casings.
Heat a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage to pan and saute the meat, breaking up large chunks until the meat has fully browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
Add olive oil, onion, carrot and celery to pan and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables have softened, about 8-10 minutes.
Add white wine, scraping any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add sausage back into the pan, along with tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer uncovered for about 25-30 minutes, until thickened.
While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until 1 minute before al dente. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat until noodles are fully cooked, about 1-2 minutes.
Divide pasta among plates or bowls. Top with grated cheese.