Rigatoni with Sausage Ragu

Ingredients

• 1 lb Rigatoni pasta
• 1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or hot)
• 28 oz Crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium Onion
• 1 medium Carrot
• 1 Celery stalk
• 3 Garlic cloves
• ½ cup Red wine (dry)
• ½ cup Chicken broth
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• ½ tsp Red pepper flakes (optional)
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• ¼ cup Fresh basil (optional)
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

Steps

1. Remove sausage from casings. Dice onion, carrot, and celery into small pieces (mirepoix). Mince garlic.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pot.
3. Add diced onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Deglaze the pot with red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until the wine has mostly evaporated.
5. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Return the cooked sausage to the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for at least 45 minutes, or up to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
6. While the ragu simmers, cook the rigatoni according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
7. Stir the drained pasta into the ragu. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.