Italian Recipes - RecipeTin Eats https://www.recipetineats.com/category/italian-recipes/ Fast Prep, Big Flavours Tue, 03 Sep 2024 05:48:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.altis-dxp.com/?v=6.6.2 https://www.recipetineats.com/tachyon/2018/12/cropped-favicon%402x.png?fit=32%2C32 Italian Recipes - RecipeTin Eats https://www.recipetineats.com/category/italian-recipes/ 32 32 171556125 Easy ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-ricotta-gnocchi-with-creamy-mushroom-sauce/ https://www.recipetineats.com/easy-ricotta-gnocchi-with-creamy-mushroom-sauce/#comments Fri, 28 Jun 2024 06:13:42 +0000 https://www.recipetineats.com/?p=145791 Close up of Ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauceRicotta gnocchi is the easy way to make homemade gnocchi from scratch! They take 20 minutes from start to finish, and are just like potato gnocchi – soft, plump pillows ready to be tossed in your sauce of choice. Today – a creamy mushroom sauce. Perfect match! Ricotta gnocchi – the easy way to make... Get the Recipe

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Ricotta gnocchi is the easy way to make homemade gnocchi from scratch! They take 20 minutes from start to finish, and are just like potato gnocchi – soft, plump pillows ready to be tossed in your sauce of choice. Today – a creamy mushroom sauce. Perfect match!

Close up of Ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce

Ricotta gnocchi – the easy way to make gnocchi

This is not the first time I’ve shared a ricotta gnocchi recipe (see here and here), and it will not be the last. I’m a big fan because it’s a much simpler and faster to make than the more well known potato gnocchi which requires accuracy to ensure they don’t end up dense and doughy. Plus, I like that ricotta gnocchi are lighter and fluffier than potato gnocchi, so it doesn’t leave you feeling weighed down.

And yes, ricotta gnocchi is legit Italian! As with many traditional foods around the world, there are various ways to make gnocchi in Italy, ricotta gnocchi being one variety. 🙂

Ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce in bowls ready to eat

Delving into the difference a little more – Essentially, potato gnocchi is made with mashed potato, flour and egg. Ricotta gnocchi simply switches the potato with ricotta, and in this recipe some parmesan is added for extra flavour. I find that they actually taste quite similar, because truthfully, potato gnocchi doesn’t taste much like potato once tossed with the sauce. And likewise, with ricotta being a neutral flavoured cheese, you can’t taste it much in ricotta gnocchi.

But the big difference is texture and speed of making. Ricotta gnocchi is, as mentioned above, softer and lighter than potato gnocchi. And as for making time – 20 minutes vs 1 hour minimum!

PS Just to be clear, this recipe is not dissing potato gnocchi. I adore them. But I can’t remember the last time I made them. Whereas ricotta gnocchi is a regular!

Making ricotta gnocchi

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce.

For the ricotta gnocchi

  • Ricotta – Use regular ricotta that is kind of lumpy when you scoop it up (see video). Not the creamy, smooth spreadable type of ricotta (usually labelled “spreadable ricotta” 0r similar.) That is too wet and loose, which will make the dough too sticky.

    Paesanella, which is widely available in NSW, is my favourite mainstream brand. In Victoria, look for That’s Amore.

    Got the wrong ricotta? – If you got the spreadable smooth type accidentally, you’ll need around 450g/15 oz and will need to extract excess liquid by placing it in a paper towel lined colander for an hour, or even overnight. Then measure out 250g/8 oz and proceed with the recipe.

  • Flour – just plain / all-purpose flour. Not self raising flour, it will make the ricotta puff up and it will sort of disintegrate (yep, tried it!).

  • Parmesan – This adds flavour as well as adding a bit of structure to the dough. Without, the dough is a little too fragile and the gnocchi more susceptible to falling apart if the dough consistency is not perfect. Think of it as cheese glue that is holding the gnocchi together!

  • Egg + egg yolk – For a little richness and also to hold the gnocchi together.


Creamy mushroom sauce

Here’s what you need for this lovely creamy mushroom sauce infused with subtle thyme flavour.

  • Mushrooms – Just regular white mushrooms, or Swiss Brown/cremini if you prefer.

  • Cream – Thickened cream / heavy cream is, as the name suggests, thicker! So the sauce will thicken faster. But it’s fine to use regular pouring or whipping cream here as the starch in the gnocchi will thicken the sauce quickly once you start tossing them together.

  • White wine – I almost always deglaze my pan using wine for sauces. Deglazing simply means using a liquid to dissolve gold bits stuck on the base of the pan from sautéing things (mushrooms and onion in this case) into the liquid because it’s free flavour. You could use water or stock, but wine adds more flavour into the sauce. We cook out the alcohol so it doesn’t taste winey at all.

    Type of wine – Chardonnay is my default white wine these days, for the best flavour and best all-rounder for cooking. But any dry white wine will work fine here. Just avoid anything too sweet. Also, feel free to skip the wine if you can’t consume alcohol. The sauce will still be delicious!

  • Chicken stock / broth – The liquid for the sauce. Feel free to use vegetable stock instead, if you want to keep it vegetarian. I always use low-sodium so I can control the level of salt in dishes. If you only have full salt stock, reduce the amount of salt listed in the ingredients (start with half then add more at the end if desired).

  • Thyme sprigs – Using fresh thyme sprigs infuses the sauce with better thyme flavour, but you can substitute with dried thyme leaves.

  • Butter – For cooking the onion and mushrooms. Feel free to substitute with olive oil (but butter makes it tastier!).

  • Onion and garlic – Adds extra flavour into the sauce. You could skip the onion, but really recommend not skipping the garlic! (PS You can use eschallots/French onions – called shallots in the States – instead of onion).

Scooping Ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce

How to make ricotta gnocchi

The trick to making ricotta gnocchi so it’s really light and soft inside is to use the minimum amount of flour you can get away with. Stickier dough = lighter gnocchi! However ricotta gnocchi is much more forgiving than potato gnocchi so even if you add more flour than ideal, they will still be lovely and soft inside. I have tested 1 1/4 cups of flour (recipe calls for 3/4 cup up to 1 cup), and it was still great!

1. HOW TO MAKE RICOTTA GNOCCHI

  1. Mix the ricotta, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper until combined. use a wooden spoon or firm-ish rubber spatula. Smear the ricotta up the side of the bowl if needed, to help cream it. Then add 3/4 cup of flour to begin with and mix.

  2. Shaggy dough – It should be a lumpy, sticky dough, like pictured above (video is very helpful too). If needed (because the wetness of ricotta can vary), add a bit more flour 1 tablespoon at a time but don’t exceed 1 cup (ie 4 extra tablespoons).

    The dough will be too sticky to knead. But because of the way the gnocchi is rolled and cut, it can be very sticky on the inside, we just use flour on the outside to make it manageable. (See next steps)

  1. Disc – Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface then give it a light knead to bring it together into a ball and pat it into a disc.

  2. Cut it into 8 equal wedges. (I swear, this is the part I find hardest in this whole recipe. My wedges are always very uneven, result in ropes of varying lengths as you will in the video!)

  1. Roll the logs into 25 cm / 10″ lengths that are 1.25cm / 1/2″ thick.

  2. Cut into little 1.5cm / 3/5″ pieces (I cut 4 logs at a time use a sharp dough scraper). And that’s the gnocchi, done!

    Scrape them onto a tray and dust very lightly with flour as needed to keep them from sticking on the tray and to each other. They can stay on the tray while you make the mushroom sauce, they won’t dry out in that time. But cover with cling wrap if you intend to faff around for a while. And if you’re making them to cook later that day, refrigerate them.

Freezing gnocchi – At this point, they can also be frozen. Freeze in single layers (you can use baking paper to separate layers). Then tumble into an airtight container and freeze until required. Cook from frozen, it will just take an extra minute or so. And they come out just like freshly made. How handy is that!

Next, let’s get onto cooking them! Mushroom sauce first.

2. MAKE THE Creamy mushroom sauce

Heads up: the sauce will seem a little thin. But once you add the gnocchi it will thicken quickly from the starch in the gnocchi. So have faith!

  1. Cook the onion and garlic first with the thyme sprigs. Then cook the mushrooms until they soften. It will take a good 5 minutes, and will go from being hard (raw) to watery, then by the time the water evaporates the mushrooms should be softened.

  2. Deglaze the pan with the wine (see under the ingredients section for more information about this step). Simmer rapidly for 2 minutes or until the wine is mostly evaporated. This will cook out most of the alcohol and all the winey flavour.

  1. Simmer – Add the stock and cream, then simmer gently for 5 minutes on a medium low heat until the sauce has thickened slightly and darker in colour.

  2. After simmering – This is what it looks like after it has been simmered for 5 minutes. As noted above, don’t worry if it seems thin, it will thicken once we add the gnocchi!


3. HOW TO COOK GNOCCHI AND TOSS WITH THE SAUCE

Tip: Boil the gnocchi in a pot next to the mushroom sauce so you can scoop it out of the water and straight into the sauce.

  1. Boil gnocchi – Bring a large pot of water to the boil with a couple of teaspoons of salt. Then tumble the gnocchi in.

  2. How to tell the gnocchi is cooked (~2 1/2 minutes) – The gnocchi will float to the surface when it’s cooked, then give it another 30 seconds to cook it through before scooping it out. This should take about 2 1/2 minutes, give or take 30 seconds (eg larger pot and stronger stove = will cook faster).

  1. Transfer the gnocchi straight into the sauce, excess water drips and all!

  2. Scoop the gnocchi out using a spider or a slotted spoon. Keep the pot of cooking water in case you need to thin the sauce.

  1. Gently toss the gnocchi in the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes on a medium low stove. In this step the starch from the flour in the gnocchi will release into the sauce and make it thicken, so it coats the gnocchi rather than pooling in the base of the pan.

  2. Proof of thickened sauce coating gnocchi – voila! And we are done. Serve it up immediately with a sprinkle of parmesan!

Ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce in a pan ready to serve

Important: serve it straight away!

Like all pasta, gnocchi is at its best the moment it is cooked. Every minute it is sitting around, the quality erodes. Harsh but true fact. Hot, freshly cooked gnocchi is soft and pillowy and the sauce is creamy and slick. As they cool, they become firmer and chewier and the sauce thickens and firms up. It can be resurrected to a degree in the microwave, but it’s never like when freshly made!

The lesson here is to ensure that the lucky recipients of your gorgeous little plump gnocchi are seated at the table, napkins tucked under their chins, spoons in hand, ready to dig into the gnocchi the moment you place the bowl in front of them. I know they were relatively low effort to make. But we should still do what we can to ensure they are enjoyed at their absolutely prime so you will be lavished with maximum praise, you Gnocchi Goddess, you! (or God) – Nagi x

ADD THESE TO COMPLETE YOUR MEAL!


Watch how to make it

Close up of Ricotta gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce
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Easy Ricotta Gnocchi with creamy mushroom sauce

Recipe video above. An easy recipe for pillowy soft gnocchi made using ricotta instead of potato. It's real Italian food – fast! Takes a third of the time to make compared to potato gnocchi, and it's lighter and softer so you won't feel as weighed down.
Served with a creamy mushroom sauce which is to-die-for sauce for pillowy soft gnocchi. See below recipe card for more gnocchi sauces. Serves 3 as a main, 4 to 5 as a starter.
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Keyword easy gnocchi, ricotta gnocchi, sauce for gnocchi
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 702cal
Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Gnocchi

  • 250g / 8oz ricotta , must be full fat (Note 1)
  • 3/4 cup (75g) freshly grated parmesan cheese (Note 2)
  • 1 large egg (55 – 60g/2oz)
  • 1 egg yolk (egg white use ideas here)
  • 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 3/4 – 1 cup flour (plain/all-purpose), plus more for dusting (Note 3)

Creamy mushroom sauce

  • 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 1/2 onion or 1 eschallot (US: shallot), finely chopped
  • 2 thyme sprigs (sub 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
  • 250g / 8oz white mushrooms , sliced in 5mm / 0.2" slices
  • 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/3 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (skip for non alcoholic)
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
  • 2/3 cup thickened / heavy cream (or pure cream)

Garnish

  • Freshly grated parmesan
  • Fresh parsley , finely chopped (optional)

Instructions

Homemade ricotta gnocchi

  • Mix – Put all the gnocchi ingredients in a bowl except the flour. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix until combined (smear up the wall if needed, to help cream the ricotta).
  • Add flour – Add 3/4 cup of flour and mix until just combined so it is a very sticky dough that will hold its shape in a mound, but is not runny like a muffin batter (see video for consistency). Stickier dough = softer gnocchi! Use the remaining flour, 1 tbsp at a time, if needed, but try to stick with 3/4 cup. You can always add more flour in the next step. (Note 3)
  • Form disc – Sprinkle a work surface with flour then scrape the dough out onto it. Sprinkle the top lightly with flour then use your hands to give the dough a light knead to bring it into a ball then pat it into a disc about 2.5cm/1" thick. Cut it into 8 wedges, using a knife or dough scraper dusted with flour as needed between each cut
  • Roll and cut – Roll each piece into a log 25cm/10" long, about 1.25cm / 1/2" wide. Cut into 1.5 cm / 3/5" pieces (Can freeze at this point – Note 4)

Creamy mushroom sauce

  • Cook mushrooms – Melt the butter in a large pan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme sprigs. Cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until the mushrooms is softened.
  • Sauce – Add the wine and simmer rapidly for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring to scrape the base of the pan, until mostly evaporated. Add the stock/broth and cream, then stir.
  • Simmer – Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer gently for 5 minutes until thickened. (It's ok if it seems a bit thin, the starch from gnocchi will thicken it quickly, have faith!).

Cook gnocchi & sauce it

  • Cook gnocchi – Bring a large pot of water to the boil with 2 teaspoons of salt. Tumble the gnocchi in and cook for around 2 1/2 minutes, or until the gnocchi is floating on the surface for around 30 seconds, no longer (else they overcook!)
  • Sauce it – Use a spider or large slotted spoon to scoop the gnocchi out of the water and straight into the sauce (excess water drips in the sauce are good!). Turn the heat up to medium and toss gently for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens and coats the gnocchi. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of the gnocchi cooking water.
  • Serve immediately, garnished with freshly grated parmesan and parsley, if desired.

Notes

1. Ricotta – Don’t buy the soft, smooth spreadable type of ricotta – it’s too wet and loose, which will make the dough too sticky. Use regular ricotta that is kind of lumpy when you scoop it up (see video).
Paesanella, which is widely available in NSW, is my favourite mainstream brand. In Victoria, look for That’s Amore.
If your ricotta is soft and creamy (ie spreadable like peanut butter), you’ll need around 450g/15 oz and will need to extract excess liquid by placing it in a paper towel lined colander for an hour, or even overnight. Then measure out 250g/8 oz and proceed with the recipe.
2. Parmesan – You really need to use freshly grated parmesan cheese for this because it is lighter and finer than store bought pre grated parmesan so it dissolves into the gnocchi better.
3. KEY TIP: The less flour you use, the lighter, softer and fluffier your gnocchi will be. But ricotta wetness can vary, so the exact flour amount may vary. See video for dough stickiness (much stickier than you expect!), it will be too sticky to knead like regular dough.
4. Freezing – Freeze in single layers (you can use baking paper to separate layers). Then tumble into an airtight container and freeze until required. Cook from frozen, it will take an extra minute.
5. Recipe adapted from various sources, including Gourmet Traveller, Serious Eats, and SBS (Margaret Fulton recipe).

Nutrition

Calories: 702cal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 260mg | Sodium: 1253mg | Potassium: 560mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1792IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 544mg | Iron: 3mg

More sauces for ricotta gnocchi

Use the sauces from these recipes in place of the creamy mushroom sauce in this recipe!


Life of Dozer

Four faces of Dozer:

  1. Disbelief – waited the whole shoot and no food came his way.

2. Blinded – How dare the sun be so glowy and warm?

3. Help – This woman won’t let me go.

4. Happy.

Photos like this make me smile so much. There was a time just a couple of months ago I never thought I’d see him like this again! Admittedly, it is only short bursts of energy. But it’s a massive improvement! I am so, so grateful and feel so fortunate that I have more time with him. Every day is precious. ❤️

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Sausage Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta https://www.recipetineats.com/sausage-ragu/ https://www.recipetineats.com/sausage-ragu/#comments Thu, 22 Feb 2024 05:17:25 +0000 https://www.recipetineats.com/?p=12943 Sausage ragu pasta sauce with pappardelle in a bowl ready to be eatenTake your meat sauce to the next level by using sausages to make an incredible Sausage Ragu! Like Shredded Beef Ragu, cooking this sausage pasta sauce long and slow gives it time to develop deep, complex flavours. Complete your Italian feast with Garlic Bread and a garden salad with Italian Dressing. Sausage Ragu Sauce Butchers... Get the Recipe

The post Sausage Ragu with Pappardelle Pasta appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

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Take your meat sauce to the next level by using sausages to make an incredible Sausage Ragu! Like Shredded Beef Ragu, cooking this sausage pasta sauce long and slow gives it time to develop deep, complex flavours. Complete your Italian feast with Garlic Bread and a garden salad with Italian Dressing.

Sausage ragu pasta sauce with pappardelle in a bowl ready to be eaten

Sausage Ragu Sauce

Butchers put a lot of time and effort into packing flavour and juiciness into sausages. So I almost see it as my duty to show you how we can get so much more out of sausages than throwing on the barbie* or the usual Bangers and Mash!

Enter – Sausage Ragu. This meat sauce gets a massive flavour boost by using sausage meat rather than plain beef mince, as well as cooking it long and slow which gives the sauce time to develop flavour as well as making the meat melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Also, starting with the classic soffritto helps. 🙂 Which might sound fancy but it just refers to sautéing onions, garlic, celery and carrots over low heat to make them beautifully sweet.  It’s a secret tip to create an incredible flavour base in dishes.

* Please do not think I am dissing sausage sandwiches! I am a regular at the weekend Bunnings sausage sizzle fundraisers. 🙂

Sausage ragu pasta sauce in a pot
This Sausage Ragu meat sauce has rich, deep flavours from slow cooking and using sausages for the meat rather than regular mince.

Ingredients in Sausage Ragu

Here’s what you need to make this Sausage Ragu. No fancy ingredients!

The sausages

Sausages for Sausage ragu pasta sauce
  • Beef + pork – I like to use a combination of both pork and beef sausages for the perfect balance of flavour and soft texture. Beef sausages provide the flavour whereas the pork provides the tenderness. Pork is a much softer meat than beef!

    You can use just either beef or pork. If you use only beef, the meat in the sauce will not be as tender. If you use only pork, the meat flavour is more mild. However, to be clear, if I only had one of these sausages, I would not hesitate to make this recipe!:)

  • Sausage quality – Whichever you use, make sure you use good sausages made with more meat and less fillers. Either look at the ingredients list (I aim for 85%+ meat) or look at the sausage – fat specks means better meat, uniform pink colour indicates lots of fillers like the sausages used for fundraiser sausage sizzles (“BBQ sausages”). They can be as low as 55% meat (the rest is flour, maize and non meat things), and often a mix of beef and chicken.

    Generally speaking, your friendly local butcher is probably the best source. And he can tell you exactly what goes in his sausages! 🙂

  • Sausage not in casings – In the US it is common to find sausage meat sold like mince/ground beef, not inside the sausage casings. Lucky you! For the rest of us, just squeeze the meat out. It is not hard.


Other ingredients

Here are the other ingredients for the ragu sauce:

Ingredients in Sausage ragu pasta sauce
  • Onion, garlic, carrot and celery – These are the vegetables for the soffrito which is cooked over low heat to make them soften and sweeten which then forms the flavour base for the sauce. This is a classic cooking technique used in cuisines all over the world, from Italian to Mediterranean to Cajun to South American!

  • Fennel seeds *Secret ingredient!* – Sautéed in the soffrito, it adds a little je ne sais quoi into the sauce. Only those with a very, very refined palette can pick that it’s in there!

  • Wine – Red wine adds depth of flavour to the sauce and is also what we use to deglaze the pot. this refers to the method of using a liquid to dissolve gold bits stuck on the base of a cooking vessel (in this case, the sausage meat) into a sauce. Those “gold bits” is called “fond” and it’s free flavour! This is a standard cooking technique you’ll see I use regularly for sauces and stews.

    Substitute with 0% alcohol wine or more chicken stock.

  • Chicken stock, low sodium – This with canned tomato makes up the bulk of the liquid for the sauce. I use chicken rather than beef stock because it’s a milder flavour so you can taste the meat flavour better. I always used low sodium stock so I don’t have to worry about sauces being too salty.

  • Tomato paste – Just a smidge to boost the tomato flavour and help thicken the sauce.

  • Thyme and bay leaves – The herbs for this pasta sauce. Fresh is best but dried is fine too.

  • Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – Optional, for a touch of warmth.

Pappardelle pasta

I like to serve this sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta, the wide thick pasta that is sold coiled up, like pictured. The surface is slightly rough so it’s ideal for tossing with thick hearty sauces like this sausage ragu, shredded beef ragu and chicken ragu which clings to the pasta well.

Having said that though, I’d happily serve sausage ragu with any pasta – short or long!


How to make Sausage Ragu

No different to making your favourite Bolognese – just a little extra time for slow cooking!

How to make Sausage ragu pasta sauce
  1. Soffrito – Cook the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in a large heavy based pot over medium heat for 8 minutes, or until the carrot is soft and sweet. Don’t let the vegetables go golden! This step is key for a really beautiful flavour base for the sauce so don’t rush it.

  2. Cook sausage – Remove the sausage meat from the casings (you literally just squeeze it out) then cook it like you would mince (ground meat). Break it up as you go but don’t get caught up in a frenzy on this step because sausage meat is “stickier” so it won’t crumble as well. We will break it up finer later partway through cooking.

How to make Sausage ragu pasta sauce
  1. Ragu sauce – Next, cook the tomato paste for 1 minute to remove the raw sour flavour. Then reduce the wine by half to cook out the winey flavour which only takes a couple of minutes. And finally, add the remaining ingredients: canned tomato, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and chilli flakes if using (I always do).

  2. Slow cook #1 (1 hour) – Pop the lid on and put it in the oven for 1 hour at 180°C/350°F (160°C). I always feel like this sounds high for a slow cook but actually, this is the oven equivalent temperature of a very small stove burner on low.

    Why oven instead of stove? Just easier because it’s entirely hands off, just stick it in the oven and leave it. No need to worry about the base catching. This sauce is quite thick so if you do use the stove instead, you’ll need to stir quite regularly.

How to make Sausage ragu pasta sauce
  1. Crush meat – Take the pot out of the oven then use a potato masher to crush the meat into finer pieces. (See step 2 notes about how sausage meat doesn’t crumble as well as mince/ground beef). The meat is tender at this point so it doesn’t take much effort. I usually do about 8 to 10 mashing motions around the pot.

  2. Slow cook #2 (45 minutes) – Then return the pot into the oven for a further 45 minutes to finish slow cooking. Once done, the sauce will be quite thick, like pictured above, with quite intense flavour. This is what we want because a) the thickness will be loosened up when tossed with pasta; and b) the sauce gets dispersed through pasta so the flavour gets diluted. So the sauce flavour should be intense in the pot so it’s the right level of flavoursome once tossed through the pasta!

Tossing pasta with sauce – essential step!

  1. Pasta cooking water – Cook the pasta per the packet directions in a large pot of salted water. Just before draining, scoop out a big jug of the pasta cooking water which we will use in the next step. The starch in the water is what helps the sauce cling to the pasta.*

  2. Tossing pasta with sauce – If you are making a full batch, then just add the pasta into the ragu pot set over medium heat on the stove. If you are making a smaller batch as I do in the video (I am making enough for 2 servings) then return the drained pasta into the same pot you cooked the pasta in.

  1. Pasta sauce – Add the pasta sauce into the pasta (obviously this step is not relevant if you put the pasta into the pasta sauce pot!!).

  2. Pasta cooking water – Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. This loosens up the thick pasta sauce so it coats the pasta strands. The reason we use the pasta cooking water is because it has starch in it from the pasta. This starch reacts with the fat in the pasta sauce and makes the sauce thicker so it clings to the pasta strands better, rather than remaining pooled at the bottom of your pasta bowl.

  1. Toss, toss, toss! Then use two spatulas to toss the pasta for 1 minute, or until the pasta sauce is tangled throughout and clinging to the pasta, and the pasta strands are stained red. Use an extra slosh of pasta cooking water if you need to loosen things up.

  2. Warmed bowl – Divide the pasta between bowls. I like to warm the pasta bowls beforehand (30 seconds in the microwave!) to keep the pasta slippery and warm for longer. Cold pasta = dry pasta!

Sausage ragu pasta ready to eat

Serve with a shower of freshly grated parmesan. Then, the picture taker in me couldn’t resist finishing with a pinch of parsley, but it’s totally unnecessary in real life and if you came to my house and I made this for you, said pinch of parsley would not be present.

This is one for the weekend. For lazy Sundays. Serve with garlic bread, rocket or baby spinach salad with balsamic dressing and finish with tiramisu. Reserve a seat for me at your table!! 🙂  – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Sausage ragu pasta ready to eat
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Sausage ragu with pappardelle pasta

Recipe video above. Take your meat sauce to the next level by using sausages instead of plain beef to make an incredible Sausage Ragu! Like Shredded Beef Ragu, cooking this sausage pasta sauce long and slow gives it time to develop deep, complex flavours.
Complete your Italian feast with Garlic Bread, a garden salad with Italian Dressing and a beautiful Tiramisu.
Course Mains
Cuisine Italian
Keyword italian sausage ragu, sausage meat sauce, Sausage Pasta
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 5 – 6 people
Calories 818cal
Author Nagi

Ingredients

Sausage ragu:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion , finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 1 carrot , peeled and grated using a box grater (Note 1)
  • 2 celery stalks , grated using a box grater (Note 1)
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 350g / 12 oz pork sausages , meat removed from casings (Note 2)
  • 350g / 12 oz beef sausages , meat removed from casings (Note 2)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup pinot noir red wine (sub 0% alcohol red wine or more chicken stock)
  • 1 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
  • 400g/14 oz can crushed tomato
  • 3 thyme sprigs (or 1/2 tsp dried)
  • 2 bay leaves (fresh better, else dried)
  • 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), optional (for hint of heat)

To serve:

  • 500g/ 1 lb pappardelle pasta , or other pasta (80g/2.8oz per serving) (Note 3)
  • Parmesan or parmigiano reggiano , finely grated, for serving
  • Parsley , finely chopped, optional garnish (just a pinch)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced).
  • Soffrito – Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot (with a lid) over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and fennel seeds. Cook for 8 minutes until the carrot is soft and sweet, but not golden.
  • Cook sausage – Turn the heat up to high and add the sausage. Cook, breaking it up as you go, as best you can. It doesn't crumble as well as mince/ground meat but that's ok, we will break it up more later.
  • Deglaze – Once the meat is no longer pink (it doesn't really brown), add the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and let it simmer rapidly for 2 minutes until reduced by half, stirring regularly to scrape the base of the pot clean.
  • Slow cook #1 (1 hr) – Add the remaining ragu ingredients. Stir, bring to a simmer, put the lid on and place it in the oven for 1 hour.
  • Slow cook #2 (45 min) – Remove from the oven and use a potato masher to mash the meat finer. Put the lid back on, and return to the oven for 45 minutes. The sauce will be quite thick, it gets loosened when tossed with the pasta.
  • Salt – Taste and add more salt if desired. (Sausages vary in saltiness so I always start with less)

Pasta:

  • Cook pasta – Cook the pappardelle according to the packet instructions. Just before draining, scoop out 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water and set it aside.
  • Toss with sauce – Have the ragu pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the pasta into the pot along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cook water. Use two spatulas to toss the pasta until the ragu is tangled in the pasta strands and it is stained red from the sauce. Use extra pasta cooking water if needed to loosen it up.
  • Serve in pre-warmed bowls, garnish with parmesan and a pinch of parsley if desired. Eat immediately!

Notes

Servings – Sauce makes enough for 500g/1 lb pasta which, based on a standard serving of 80g/2.8oz dried pasta per person, is enough for 6 normal people or 5 heartier appetites!
1. Grating – Box grater makes the pieces finer so they disappear better into the meat sauce. Try to use short strokes so you don’t end up with long strands.
2. Sausages – Using both pork and beef is my favourite combination because beef gives the meat sauce beefy flavour whereas pork meat is so soft, it makes the sauce melt-in-your-mouth in a way you will never achieve just using beef. You can also use just pork or just beef. Still so, so tasty!
3. Pasta – Thick wide strands of pappardelle is made for hearty meat sauces like ragu though with a sauce this good, it’s going to be great with any pasta! To make pasta for less than 5 people, use just put some sauce in a separate pan or pot on the stove and toss with the desired amount of pasta. In the video you see me make 2 servings.
4. Making ahead – Ragu just gets better overnight! Cool thoroughly then refrigerate. Warm the ragu on a low stove so it’s hot when you add the pasta for tossing. The ragu can be frozen for 3 months or kept in the fridge for 5 days. Once tossed with pasta, it will keep for 3 to 4 days but pastas are always best eaten freshly made!

Nutrition

Calories: 818cal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 1193mg | Potassium: 1050mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2262IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 5mg

Originally published in February 2016. Recipe improved in February 2024 with improved sauce flavour and consistency, writing tidied up, much improved video. And most important, Life of Dozer section added!SaveSave

Life of Dozer

And then I published it.SaveSave

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Penne all’Arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta) https://www.recipetineats.com/penne-all-arrabbiata-spicy-tomato-pasta/ https://www.recipetineats.com/penne-all-arrabbiata-spicy-tomato-pasta/#comments Mon, 30 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000 https://www.recipetineats.com/?p=123265 Bowl of Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)“Without the chilli, it’s just another boring tomato pasta. With the chilli, it’s something else!” – Nagi Maehashi from RecipeTin Eats, on Penne all’Arrabbiata, as quoted in today’s recipe video. 😂 Penne all’Arrabbiata So, I am not sure that one line summary of today’s recipe will go anywhere beyond my little corner of the internet.... Get the Recipe

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“Without the chilli, it’s just another boring tomato pasta. With the chilli, it’s something else!” – Nagi Maehashi from RecipeTin Eats, on Penne all’Arrabbiata, as quoted in today’s recipe video. 😂

Close up of Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)

Penne all’Arrabbiata

So, I am not sure that one line summary of today’s recipe will go anywhere beyond my little corner of the internet. But that is my articulate description of the greatness that is Penne all’Arrabbiata! Simple made interesting with a good kick of chilli and healthy dose of garlic. The Italians know a thing or two about making simple pastas great!

By way of background, “Arrabbiata” means “angry” in Italian. So this pasta is said to be named as such in reference to its fiery nature!

But fear not. Yes, this is a pasta that is meant to be spicy. But it’s fundamentally a great tomato pasta that you can make as spicy as you’d like. Or not. It’s easy to adjust – just make the sauce with less chilli to start with. Taste it during the simmer time. Add more if you’re feeling bold! 

Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta) in a pot

Ingredients in Penne all’Arrabbiata

Arrabbiata sauce can be made with either fresh or dried chillies. Dried is obviously more convenient, but I really like the extra flavour fresh chilli brings to the sauce so I’ve used a combination of both. Also, two of my go-to Italian recipe sources both use fresh chillis. 

Feel free to double up on either options!

Ingredients in Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)
  • Cayenne pepper – The larger the chilli, the less spicy they are! So cayenne peppers are not super spicy. Though, I do like to keep the seeds in for an extra zing of spiciness (the seeds is where most of the spiciness is). Feel free to de-seed if you prefer, or just use dried chillis (see note above photo for why I use fresh and dried).

    Feel brave? Use Birds Eye or Thai chillies instead! They pack more spiciness than cayenne peppers.

  • Dried red chillis – These have a warm earthiness that fresh chillis do not. Sauteing with garlic brings out the toasty flavour as well as the spiciness. 

  • Pasta type – Traditionally made with penne, though ziti is a direct replacement (it’s penne with a smooth surface). Though really, you can make this with any short or long pasta.

  • Canned crushed tomato – To be authentic, use whole peeled tomatoes (canned) and mash them up with a fork. For convenience, I use crushed tomatoes! 

    Sourness note: Not all canned tomatoes are created equal! Economical brands tend to be more sour. Take the edge off with ½ teaspoon of sugar. 

  • Garlic – 3 cloves! Arrabiata sauce is meant to have a nice hit of garlic flavour.

  • Parmesan – For serving.

  • Parsley – For optional garnish.

Arrabbiata Sauce for pasta

How to make Arrabbiata Sauce

This simple pasta sauce 15 minutes simmering time to breakdown the tomatoes and make the flavours meld. Don’t shortcut it – you’ll rob yourself of flavour!

How to make Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)
  1. Finely mince the cayenne pepper with the seeds in. (See note in the ingredients section about seeds and spiciness)

  2. Sauté garlic and chilli – Use a pot large enough to toss the pasta with the sauce. Heat the oil over medium heat, then stir the garlic for just 10 seconds. Add cayenne and chilli flakes, then cook for 1 minute, or until garlic is light golden.

How to make Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)
  1. Simmer – Add tomato, salt and pepper. Rinse out the tomato cans with a bit of water and add that in too. Then simmer the sauce gently for 15 minutes until it thickens. 

  2. Save water for sauce – While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta per packet directions in salted pasta cooking water. Just before draining, give the pot a big stir (to agitate the starch* in the pasta) then scoop out 1 cup of the water. Then drain the pasta.

    * The starch in the pasta cooking water helps the pasta sauce thicken so it clings to the pasta better. 

  3. Toss – Add the pasta into the sauce along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss well (still on the stove) until the sauce coats the pasta and is no longer pooled in the base of the pot. Use extra pasta cooking water if needed, to loosen.

  4. Serve – Dinnertime! Divide between bowls and serve immediately with parmesan and parsley, if using.

Serving Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)

Bowl of Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)

Oh the possibilities!

I’ve kept today’s recipe traditional with no add-ins, delicious as is.

But this recipe is an excellent blank canvas for add-ins of choice. Think – cooked shredded chicken, ham bits, olives (puttanesca-ish!), artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, other leftover cooked vegetables (or sauté from raw). Drop in some raw prawns/shrimp for the last few minutes cook time or some pieces of fish. 

As with all pasta recipes, be sure to have everyone lined up ready to eat as you’re dishing it out so it’s at its slick, juicy, sauciness best. Pass freshly grated parmesan at the table, and top it with a pinch of parsley if you’re feeling fancy.

Enjoy! – Nagi


Watch how to make it

Made Arrabbiata Sauce – and got a free facial!

Bowl of Penne all'arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)
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Penne all’Arrabbiata (spicy tomato pasta)

Recipe video above. “Arrabbiata” means “angry” in Italian and refers to how the spiciness of this classic Italian pasta! I love how this simple dish is made interesting with a good kick of chilli.
To be authentic, use whole peeled tomatoes and mash them up with a fork. For convenience, I use crushed tomatoes. SPICINESS – See Note 1.
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Keyword arrabbiata penne, arrabbiata sauce, Penne all’arrabbiata
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 567cal
Author Nagi

Ingredients

  • 400g/ 14oz penne or ziti , or other pasta of choice (short or long)
  • 1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt , for cooking pasta

Arrabiata sauce:

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 1 red cayenne pepper chilli , finely chopped (with seeds) (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)
  • 800g / 28 oz canned crushed tomato
  • 1 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp white sugar , only if needed (Note 3)

Serving:

  • parmesan , finely grated
  • 2 tsp finely chopped parsley , optional

Instructions

  • Sauté – Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 10 seconds. Add cayenne and chilli flakes. Cook for 1 minute, or until garlic is light golden.
  • Add tomato, salt and pepper. Rinse out the tomato cans with the water and add into the pot.
  • Simmer – Turn up the heat to high, stir, then once it comes to a simmer, turn back down to medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (Taste check at 10 min – if sour, add the sugar.)
  • Cook pasta – Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to the boil with the 1 tablespoon of salt. Add pasta and cook per packet directions.
  • Save water Just before draining, give the pot a big stir (to agitate the starch) then scoop out 1 cup of the water and set aside. (Note 4) Drain pasta.
  • Toss – Add pasta into the sauce along with 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss well (still on the stove) until the pasta is coated with the pasta sauce. Use extra pasta cooking water if needed, to loosen.
  • Serve – Divide between bowls and serve immediately with parmesan and parsley, if using.

Notes

1. SPICINESS – Has a fair kick to it, as it is supposed to! It’s between medium and medium-hot. Not blow-your-head-off. To reduce spiciness, de-seed the cayenne pepper (most spiciness is in the seeds) – this will reduce closer to medium. To reduce further/easy way to control, omit the cayenne pepper. Start with a small amount of chilli flakes then get the sauce simmering. At the 10 minute mark, taste and add more chilli flakes, bit by bit, until you hit your threshold!
2. Cayenne peppers are large red chillis. They are not overly spicy – general rule is the smaller the chilli, the spicier they are. See above for spiciness note.
3. Sugar – Not all canned tomatoes are created equal. The better the quality, the sweeter they are. 🙂 Only use sugar if required.
4. Reserving/using pasta cooking water – Essential pasta cooking step every Italian does instinctively for every pasta recipe! Starch in the pasta cooking water helps the sauce thicken and cling to the pasta instead of sitting in a watery pool in the bottom of your pasta bowl.
5. Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 567cal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1011mg | Potassium: 846mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 524IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

Nowhere to be seen when I’m sautéing the chilli (the fumes tickle his nose) but he waddles over when it’s done. But – no spicy pasta for Dozer! Can you imagine the mess I’d have to deal with. 😂

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Calabrian Fish Ragu Pasta https://www.recipetineats.com/fish-ragu-pasta/ https://www.recipetineats.com/fish-ragu-pasta/#comments Mon, 09 Oct 2023 05:09:15 +0000 https://www.recipetineats.com/?p=121704 Bowl of Calabrian fish ragu pasta ready to be eatenThis is a fish pasta in a richly flavoured fish ragu pasta sauce. It’s a great recipe to stretch fish further and cook it in a unique way that’s outrageously delicious with big, bold Italian Calabrian spices! Calabrian Fish Ragu Pasta I feel like the name of today’s recipe requires explanation. I’m calling this a... Get the Recipe

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This is a fish pasta in a richly flavoured fish ragu pasta sauce. It’s a great recipe to stretch fish further and cook it in a unique way that’s outrageously delicious with big, bold Italian Calabrian spices!

Bowl of Calabrian fish ragu pasta ready to be eaten

Calabrian Fish Ragu Pasta

I feel like the name of today’s recipe requires explanation.

I’m calling this a ragu because it’s stewy and braisy and has beautiful depth of flavour even though it hasn’t been slow cooked for hours like my Shredded Beef Ragu. Because, NEWSFLASH, it doesn’t have to be slow cooked for hours to be called a ragu!

As for the Calabrian part of the name? It’s because the seasoning is inspired by the flavours of Calabria: chillies and particularly nduja, the intensely-flavoured salami paste from the region that’s rising in popularity in the foodie world. Stuffed in focaccias, dolloped on pizzas, mixed into pasta sauces, this fiery spread has big, bold flavours and a little bit goes a long way.

So, as you might have guessed, this is a fish pasta that is big on flavour. I love that it tastes exotic and restaurant-y but it’s economical and easy!

Close up photo of Calabrian fish ragu pasta

Ingredients in this Fish Ragu Pasta

Here’s what you need to make this.

1. The fish

Key to this pasta is the spice mix for the fish. As mentioned earlier, the flavours in this fish pasta are based on the seasoning on nduja which is a type of salami. So, think – fennel and paprika with a hit of spiciness. Bold is the word that comes to mind!

Fish Ragu ingredients

Best fish for this pasta

Any firm white fish fillets (skinless and boneless) can be used in this recipe. Here are some suggestions: snapper, John or Silver dory, barramundi, bream, tilapia, pollock, cod, flathead, perch, ling, bass, basa, hake, hoki, monkfish (pricey here, so I reserve for other uses like this recipe). If using frozen, thaw thoroughly and pat dry before using.

I recommend avoiding:

  • Fish that dry out easily when cooked – Like swordfish, tuna, bonito, kingfish, marlin.

  • Delicate and thin-filleted fish – Like flounder, sole, plaice, turbot, whiting. The texture of the flesh is a bit too delicate for this type of cooking.

  • Oily fish – Like sardines or mackerel. A bit too overwhelming, flavours don’t quite match.

The Calabrian spices

  • Whole fennel and black peppercorns – These are toasted then ground, for maximum flavour impact. I would not ask you to make the effort to toast and grind if I really didn’t believe it was worth it. It is! However, I have substitutions in the recipe notes for ground fennel and pepper, if that’s all you have.

  • More spices – Nutmeg, paprika, chilli flakes (red pepper flakes). Feel free to dial back the chilli if you’re concerned about spicineess.

2. In the pasta and the sauce

Fish Ragu ingredients
  • Pasta – Any long strand thinnish pasta is ideal here. I use fettuccine.

  • Tomato passata – This is pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. It costs around the same as canned tomato.

    Passata is excellent for making thick, smooth sauces and soups without a long simmer time like required to break down crushed tomato. A regular in my recipes! More on tomato passata here.

  • Tomato paste – A boost of tomatoey flavour and to help thicken the sauce.

  • Garlic – Because, garlic. Rarely do savoury recipes happen around here without garlic!

  • Parsley and parmesan – garnishes. I know parmesan isn’t strictly traditional in Italian fish and seafood pastas. But, it works. We’re not after loads of parmesan cheesiness. It just adds saltiness.

3. pangrattato

Pangrattato is an Italian chunky breadcrumb topping that adds an addictive crunch and flavor to pasta dishes and salads. I particularly like it with this fish ragu as it adds great texture and is a terrific contrast to the soft fish.

Fish Ragu ingredients
  • Bread – Use a denser bread like sourdough, ciabatta etc which have structure and go really crunchy when toasted. Lightweight sandwich bread is a little too delicate and kind of just dissolves into powder, bypassing the crunch completely. 🙂 BUT – if sandwich bread is all you have, I’d still go ahead! Or, substitute with panko breadcrumbs.

  • Oil and salt – To make it crunchy and salty.


How to make fish ragu

As mentioned earlier, this is a ragu but it doesn’t have to be slow cooked for hours! In fact, if you can multi-task, you’ll get this on the table in just over 20 minutes. 🙂

1. pangrattato first

Get the pangrattato in the oven first. Toss the bread in olive oil and salt, then bake in a 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced) oven for 10 minutes until crisp all the way through.

How to make Fish Ragu

2. CALABRIAN SPICED FISH NEXT

Next up, toast the spices and coat the fish in the tasty flavours.

How to make Fish Ragu
  1. Toast the fennel and black peppercorns for a couple of minutes until it smells fragrant and you can see the fennel is lightly browned. Use a large deep skillet or pot, something large enough to toss the pasta with the sauce later. No oil required at this stage.

  2. Grind the spices using a mortar and pestle, or a grinder.

  3. Coat the fish with the ground fennel and peppercorns, nutmeg, chilli flakes, sugar, salt, olive oil plus the tomato paste.

  4. Once coated, set aside while you prep the other ingredients. No need to marinate.

3. MAKING THE PASTA

The pasta sauce takes around the same time to cook as the pasta so you can make both at the same time.

  1. Boil pasta for the time per the packet directions minus 1 minute. It should be al dente – cooked through but still a slight firm but. It will soften more as it cooks through more when tossed with the pasta sauce.

    Scoop out about 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. We will need this for the pasta tossing at the end.

  2. Cook fish – Sauté the garlic until golden, then add the fish (scrape out every bit of the paste!) and cook for 2 minutes.

How to make Fish Ragu
  1. Add the tomato passata and simmer for 5 minutes.

  2. The fish ragu sauce – This is what it looks like before the tossing process starts. Notice how the fish pieces are still whole at this stage. Some of the pieces will flake and break when we toss with the pasta, some will stay mostly whole. I find that texture the most appealing for me.

    What we don’t want is for all the fish to disintegrate. It’s so much nicer to have fish chunks so you know you’re eating fish rather than unidentifiable mush!

How to make Fish Ragu
  1. Add reserved pasta cooking water and simmer for a further 2 minutes. The pasta cooking water has starch in it which makes the sauce thicken so it clings to the pasta strand. You will see in the next step!

  2. Toss with pasta – Then add the pasta and most of the parlsey. Toss, still on the stove, for 1 minute or until the pasta strands are stained red and all the fish ragu is clinging to the pasta strands rather than pooled in the pan.

    If the pasta gets too thick (excessively enthusiastic tossing, heat too high are typical causes), just add a splash of extra pasta cooking water to thin it out and give it another good toss!

Tossing Calabrian fish ragu pasta

Now, it’s ready for serving. Twirl into bowls and cover liberally with a shower of the crunchy pangrattato and finish with parmesan!

Calabrian fish ragu pasta freshly made

Bowl of Calabrian fish ragu pasta

Matters of serving fish ragu

As with any pasta, this fish ragu is best served and eaten piping hot and fresh, straight out of the pan while the pasta is sticky and slippery and saucy. As it sits around, the pasta continues to absorb the liquid, drying it out so it’s thick and stodgy.

So, whenever you are making any pasta, be sure to have the hungry hoards at the table, ready to twirl and slurp the moment you bring the pasta bowls to the table, for maximum enjoyment!

Really hope you love this as much as I do. The fish ragu is divine as it is. But with that crunchy pangrattato? It’s sheer perfection. Enjoy! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

Bowl of Calabrian fish ragu pasta ready to be eaten
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Calabrian Fish Ragu

Recipe video above. This is a fish pasta in a richly spiced fish ragu pasta sauce. The spice mix is based on njuda, the bold flavoured spreadable Calabrian salami paste that's rising in popularity in the restaurant scene! It's a great way to make fish stretch further, cooked in a unique way that's outrageously delicious with big, bold Southern Italian flavours.
No stale bread? Use panko instead. See notes. 3 servings? I know it's a little odd, but the spice mix didn't scale down neatly to make pasta for 2! (3/8 tsp nutmeg?!). Leftovers are always delicious. 🙂
Course Mains
Cuisine Italian-esque
Keyword fish pasta, fish ragu
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 3
Calories 714cal
Author Nagi

Ingredients

Calabrian spiced fish:

  • 250g/ 8 oz firm white fish fillets , skinless, boneless, cut into 2 cm / 0.8″ cubes (barramundi, snapper, cod – Note 1)
  • 3/4 tsp black peppercorns (Note 2 for ground option)
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds (Note 2 for ground option)
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika (sub ordinary paprika)
  • 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes (red pepper flakes), feel free to reduce/omit
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
  • 1/2 tsp caster / superfine sugar
  • 3/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

Pasta:

  • 250g/8 oz linguine pasta (or fettuccine, spaghetti)
  • 1 tbsp cooking / kosher salt , for pasta water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
  • 3/4 cup tomato passata (US: tomato puree, Note 3)

Garnish:

  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • Parmesan cheese , finely grated, for serving

Pangrattato

  • 1 cup stale bread like sourdough, ciabatta , crusts removed, torn/chopped into irregular 1cm/0.4" pieces (Note 4)
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pinch cooking / kosher salt

Instructions

  • Toast & grind – Preheat a large deep skillet or pot over medium heat (Note 5), no oil. Toast black peppercorn and fennel for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes until it smells fragrant and the fennel is lightly browned. Transfer to a mortar and use a pestle and grind to a powder while still hot.
  • Coat fish – Transfer to a medium bowl with remaining Calabrian spiced fish ingredients. Stir well with a spatula until combined. Set aside.
  • Cook pasta – Boil 3 litres of water with the cooking salt. Cook pasta per packet directions minus 1 minute. Just before draining, scoop out 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water. Then drain in a colander and leave until ready to use.
  • Calabrian fish ragu – While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in the same skillet you used to toast the fennel on medium high. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. Add tomato passata. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and simmer for 2 minutes.
  • Toss pasta – Add pasta and 3/4 of the parsley. Toss for 1 minute to coat the pasta with the sauce. Most of the fish will break up into flakes but some will remain in larger chunks – this is good! We don't want disintegrated mush, nor giant chunks. Once the pasta turns red and the sauce and fish bits are clinging to the pasta straws, remove from heat and divide between bowls immediately.
  • Serve – Sprinkle with pasta, pangrattato and parmesan. Eat immediately!

Pangrattato:

  • Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced).
  • Toss bread, oil and salt in a small bowl. Spread on a tray and bake for 10 minutes, tossing at the 5 minute mark, or until light golden and fully crisp.

Notes

1. Firm white fish fillets – Works best with fairly firm white fish fillets that are not too thick. Some suggestions: snapper, John or Silver dory, barramundi, bream, tilapia, pollock, cod, flathead, perch, ling, bass, basa, hake, hoki. If using frozen, thaw thoroughly and pat dry before using.
I recommend avoiding:
  • Fish that dry out easily when cooked – Like swordfish, tuna, bonito, kingfish, marlin.
  • Delicate and thin-filleted fish – Like flounder, sole, plaice, turbot, whiting. The texture of the flesh is a bit too delicate for this type of cooking.
  • Oily fish – Like sardines or mackerel. A bit too overwhelming, flavours don’t quite match.
2. Grinding whole spices will give the best flavour in this recipe, it really makes a difference here. I only emphasise this when it matters, I will use pre-ground whenever I can! But you can use pre-ground if that’s all you’ve got. 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper and 1/2 tsp fennel powder. No toasting, just mix in with other spices.
3. Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). Readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Excellent for making thick, smooth sauces. More on tomato passata here.
4. Back up – use 1/2 cup panko instead, toast for shorter time. If the bread isn’t stale that’s fine too, it’ll take a little longer to go crunchy and is a little harder to cut into small pieces.
5. Cooking vessel needs to be large enough to toss the sauce with the pasta.
6. Recipe reference – inspired by this recipe torn out from the Delicious magazine during a flight. Though, my resulting recipe is very different. Much saucier (good thing), faster (also a good thing) with bolder flavours (that’s just how I roll!).
7. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Warm in microwave with a splash of water and toss well. Store pangrattato in the pantry.
Nutrition per serving assuming 3 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 714cal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 3264mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1661IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 5mg

More things to make with fish!


Life of Dozer

My house needed a major air-out over the weekend after a particularly intense week of spice-heavy cooking, so I left all the doors open all day to create a nice breezeway.

Dozer was put on front door guard duty. I felt totally safe.

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