Sausage Ragu with Ricotta & Spelt Pasta (Slow Cooker)
I’ll often double this one up and keep a permanent stash of it on rotation. It freezes like a dream and has got me out of many a last-minute dinner scrape, particularly when friends drop in for a drink and then decide to stay for the evening. I have used spelt pasta in this recipe, but any pasta will do.
Ingredients 19
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 carrot, large, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
1 rosemary sprig, large, leaves picked
1 lemon thyme sprig, large, leaves pulled
1 kg beef sausage, excellent-quality, casings removed, meat roughly chopped
3 tbsp tomato paste, concentrated (purée)
250 ml dry white wine
2 tins chopped tomatoes, 400g each
75 g semi-dried tomatoes, smoked, roughly chopped
salt, to season
600 g spelt pasta
To Serve
flat-leaf parsley (italian), chopped
basil leaves, chopped
35 g semi-dried tomatoes, smoked, to scatter
250 g ricotta, excellent-quality
40 g pitted black olives, halved, to scatter, optional
black pepper, freshly ground
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Method 5
Set your slow cooker to the sauté function. Add the and, once hot, add the and cook for 2–5 minutes, or until soft. Add the , and and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened considerably.
Add the and and cook for another 30 seconds before adding the . Cook for 5–8 minutes, or until the meat is beginning to brown and caramelise. Don’t rush this step; it’s important for the meat to take on quite a bit of colour for added flavour.
Add the , , and . Set the slow cooker to low, close the lid and cook for 10 hours. Season generously.
Cook the according to the packet instructions.
Drain and serve topped with the sausage ragu, parsley, basil, smoked , , (if using), a drizzle of and some freshly ground black pepper.
