Tag Archives: ragu

Sausage and WInter Squash Ragu

Sausage and Winter Squash Ragu

I got this recipe from a northern friend (her grandparents are from Tuscany). You can use any kind of hard winter squash. I used butternut but acorn or even pumpkin would do it.
Sausage and Winter Squash Ragu

Sausage and Winter Squash Ragu

Ingredients:
  • 3 cups peeled and diced squash
  • Olive oil for basting and frying
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 lb. Italian hot or sweet pork sausage casing removed
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 cup diced mushrooms – your choice
  • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 2 sliced garlic cloves
  • 1 lb. short pasta like ziti, rigatoni, etc.
  • ½ cup chopped parsley
Start a pot of salted water  for the pasta.
Heat the oven to 450o and roast the peeled and diced squash with oil and salt and pepper for 15 minutes.

Sausage and Winter Squash Ragu

Sausage and Winter Squash Ragu
Sauté the mushrooms and onion in oil in a pot until they’re soft. Remove from the pot. Add the sausage and break it up and cook until it’s brown. Return the mushrooms and onion to the pot, then add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook on a medium flame for 5 minutes and then add 1 cup of water, stir, and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

Sausage and Winter Squash Ragu

Cook the pasta until almost done and add it to the pot and mix it with the sauce. Add some of the pasta water if it looks too dry. Now, add the roasted squash and parsley. Mix and serve. (My friend said it can be served with grated cheese but I think that would overpowers the sweetness of the squash.)

Sausage and Winter Squash Ragu

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Venison Ragu

Still Life with Dead Game by Frans Snyders 1579-1657

Venison Ragu

Venison Ragu

My friend Susan gave me some ground venison for my birthday. This is the first recipe I tried with it. Venison ragu is a hardy winter dish. If you can’t get venison use pork. If you do use pork, you can leave out the duck fat. That’s only necessary with lean venison.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Italian trinity
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. duck fat
  • 1 lb. ground venison
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 15 basil leaves cut chiffonade
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1 lb. short pasta
Put on a pot of water for the pasta.
Sweat one cup of trinity in oil, then add 2 tablespoons of duck fat and lightly brown the venison. Add the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the basil to the sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes while the pasta is cooking.Venison Ragu
When the pasta is almost done drain and add it to the sauce to finish cooking. If the sauce is too dry add some pasta water.  Serve with optional grated cheese.

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