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Spicy Calabrian Sausage Ragu made with herbs, garlic, and red wine in a rich tomato sauce, served with stracciatella cheese and Parmigiano on top. A delicious and impressive pasta that is ready in around 40 minutes.
When I’m craving a rich meat ragu but don’t have much time, there are two ingredients I always reach for: Italian sausages and passata.
Italian sausages are already packed with flavour, often flavoured with fennel seeds, garlic or chilli and are well seasoned, so they instantly add a depth of flavour.
Passata (called tomato puree in the US) has a richer and more concentrated flavour than chopped or plum tomatoes, which means you can create a flavourful sauce in a shorter amount of time.
This recipe uses Calabrian sausages for a lot of heat and is topped with a cooling, creamy and rich stracciatella cheese. The combination is incredible and perfect when you’re looking for something a little extra special for weekends or special occasions.
See the full recipe below, along with our top tips and ingredient swaps. Enjoy!
Ingredient notes
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It- Calabrian sausages – these extra spicy pork sausages are made with Calabrian chilli paste and fennel seeds. You should be able to find hot Italian sausages in Italian food stores (in the UK, you can get them at M&S). If you don’t have access to them, I’ve listed alternatives below and in the recipe card.
- Soffritto – chop the carrot, celery and onion as fine as you can. Since this is a relatively quick sauce, you want the vegetables to be small, so they cook faster.
- Passata (tomato puree in the US) – as an alternative, you can use finely chopped canned tomatoes (I recommend Mutti Polpa) and add around 1 tablespoon of tomato concentrate.
- Stracciatella – stracciatella means shards or rags in Italian (think of the chocolate shards in stracciatella gelato). Stracciatella cheese is essentially the inside of a burrata, so if you can’t find stracciatella, burrata is the perfect alternative.
- Red wine – if you don’t drink or cook with alcohol, you can simply leave it out; there’s no need to replace it with anything.
Calabrian sausage alternative
Calabrian sausages are made from pork with hot Calabrian chilli paste added. Sometimes they’re also made with Nduja (a spicy spreadable salami). Here’s what to do if you can’t find them.
- Italian sausages with Calabrian chilli paste – you can use regular Italian sausages and add Calabrian chilli paste to taste (around 1 tablespoon for hot).
- Italian sausages with Nduja – you can use regular Italian sausages and add Nduja to taste (I’d go with around 70g/2.5oz and add more as needed).
- Italian sausages plus chilli – you can use Italian sausages and add chilli flakes or fresh red chilli to taste.
More spicy pasta sauces to try
If you’ve tried this Spicy Calabrian Sausage Ragu or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest or sign up to our Newsletter to see more of our delicious food
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Spicy Calabrian Sausage Ragu with Stracciatella
Ingredients
- 400 g (14oz) spicy Calabrian sausages, skins removed (see notes)
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1 celery stick
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) red wine, (can omit if preferred)
- 400 g (14 oz or 1 and 1/3 cups) passata (tomato puree US)
- 400 ml (1 and 1/2 cups) water
- 150 g (5oz) stracciatella cheese, for serving (or 1 ball of burrata)
- Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving
- 400 g (14oz) Rigatoni or pasta of choice
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Finely chop the carrot, celery and onion, then add to a bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan. Once hot, add the Calabrian sausages, breaking them up with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Fry the sausage meat until well browned (about 4-5 minutes).
- Remove any excess fat from the pan, making sure only 2-3 tablespoons remain, then add the diced vegetables. Saute the vegetables on a medium heat until soft.
- Once softened, add the finely chopped garlic, rosemary and bay leaves and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the red wine and let it reduce by half whilst scraping any brown bits from the pan and mixing them into the sauce.
- Next, add the passata and fill the jar back up with water (400ml/1 and 1/2 cups). Give it a shake, then add the water to the sauce. Season it with salt and pepper, then let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t catch on the bottom.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Once boiling, cook your pasta until al dente. Once ready, transfer your pasta to the sauce and stir to coat well in the sauce.
- Serve in bowls topped with a few spoonfuls of stracciatella cheese (or burrata) and a grating of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Notes
- Calabrian sausages are made with pork and Calabrian chilli paste. You can use regular Italian sausages and add either Calabrian chilli paste (about 1 tablespoon or more as needed), Nduja (about 2.5oz or 70g) or fresh red chilli as an alternative.
- Prep in advance – you can prep the ragu in advance and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove until piping hot. Leftovers with pasta will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 days before the pasta becomes too soft.
- Freezing – you can freeze the ragu for up to 3 months. Defrost fully before reheating on the stove until piping hot.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
- When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
- All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
- All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
- Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
- Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
- You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
