This is a super easy family favorite Pasta with Italian Sausage that is friendly for any weeknight meal!
For all of the purists out there, and before I upset any of my Italian friends, this is not Spaghetti Bolognese nor is it intended to be. This is simply my take on Spaghetti & Meat Sauce that was a stable in my house growing up.
Don’t get me wrong, my mother is a wonderful cook, this is just one dish that really needed some updating. My mother worked long hours and usually didn’t have a lot of time to cook from scratch during the week. Her recipe pretty much consisted of browned ground meet with a jar of purchased spaghetti sauce added, served over spaghetti, and topped with that shelf stable Parmesan cheese. (What is that stuff anyway?)
I have kicked her Spaghetti & Meat Sauce recipe up a notch using Italian sausage instead of ground meat. The flavor is just so much better with the addition of the pork, fennel, anise.
There are a couple of unusual ingredients that most people would not ordinarily associate with Spaghetti and Meat Sauce. The fish sauce gives the sauce a more savory flavor and makes the sauce taste like it has been slowly simmering longer. The Parmesan rind adds an extra richness. If it doesn’t melt all the way, no worries, just remove what is left before serving.
I also choose to use lasagna noodles, I was just feeling creative and really liked how it came out. Use whatever your favorite pasta is or whatever you have on hand.
If you love it, leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you and this would help me with future recipes!
Contact me if you would like to see any of your childhood favorites updated or reinvented.
Pasta with Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1/2 cup carrots diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic mined
- 1/2 tsp oregano dried
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 1 tbps fish sauce optional
- parmesan cheese rind optional
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 lb lasagna noodles cooked al dente
- 1/2 cup fresh basil diced
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. While the sausage is cooking, use a wooden spoon to break up into smaller pieces.
- Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring continuously, for about 1 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up any fronds in the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, fish sauce, parmesan cheese rind, heavy cream, bay leaves, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the sauce to a slow simmer and cook, uncovered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- About 15 minutes before the sauce is finished cooking, bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil, and cook the lasagna (or noodle of your choice) according to package directions.
- To serve stir in the basil and toss the cooked pasta in the sauce. Leave the pasta in for a minute or two so that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Note: The fish sauce gives the dish an extra Unami depth of flavor and the parmesan cheese rind adds an extra depth of richness.
