Orecchiette with Sausage Ragu
Orecchiette with Sausage Ragu. Our Fat Tuesday Italian tradition. My great grandparents always made this dish to celebrate carnival, and I guess it just kind of stuck around in our house. It’s a simple dish but it’s delicious. Orecchiette plated on creamy ricotta and topped with a spicy, herby sausage ragu. I mean you can’t go wrong. Anyone else have Fat Tuesday dinner traditions?!
Happy Fat Tuesday guys! This holiday has always felt super random to me. I guess it’s because i’ve always celebrated it so differently every year. In college, I used to go out and drink Hurricanes at the bars on a random Tuesday. After college, it was just any old night. Before college, it was probably just any old night too but I can’t even remember back then. But either way, if I was home and it was any old night then we always had this dish.
It’s not a tradition I can remember from my great grandparents. I unfortunately wasn’t even born yet back then. I so wish I was though because it sounds like they always made this Carnival tradition fun!
My mom has since carried on the tradition, so for as long as I can remember this has been it. With the exception of the days I was out at a bar drinking Hurricanes which I must admit was always fun. So while i’m not drinking a Hurricanes at a bar tonight, I am enjoying my mom's Fat Tuesday meal that she has always made on this day !!
Like I mentioned before, it may be simple but it’s totally tasty and kind of hard not to love !! Whether you’re living it up at a bar or making your family’s traditional Fat Tuesday meal or whatever else, we hope you guys have a great Fat Tuesday !!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion; chopped
1 carrot; chopped
1 celery stalk; chopped
2 cloves garlic; chopped
salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage; casings removed
1/2 cup red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (26 ounce) box Pomi chopped tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh or dry orecchiette pasta
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. Cook until softened. Add the sausage and season with salt and pepper. Cook breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until browned and no longer pink in the middle.
Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan. Scrape up brown bits and cook until wine is almost evaporated.
Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Pomi tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta and drain. Add to the skillet with the sausage. Stir to combine. Serve topped with ricotta cheese.
