Sausage Ragu

Moving is exhausting! We moved about two weeks ago and from the week before until right now, there's been a million things to do everyday. I decided to make this pasta sauce for two main reasons: (1) it makes a ton of sauce so you can easily freeze it and pull it out for a quick meal and (2) the simmer time is long - about 3 hours - which was the perfect excuse to take a nap. Yes, this recipe takes a little time up front, but the payoff is huge.

Onions, fennel, celery, and garlic are browned in olive oil until they are deep & rich in color and almost burnt. Then tomato paste is added and browned to further enhance the flavor. Everything is then deglazed in red wine. Sweet (or spicy) Italian sausage is added to the pan and browned to add another layer of flavor. Finally, water is added and the whole pot simmers for about 3 hours. The result is a rich tomato sauce which has TONS of flavor. It's perfect with any type of pasta and would be AWESOME in a lasagna.

LESSON LEARNED: Don't be afraid to let the veggies brown - this step adds a ton of flavor.

Recipe for Sausage Ragu