10-Hour Sausage Ragù with Broccoli Rabe

Ingredients

• 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed (Flatten on a baking sheet before searing.)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (For searing the sausage.)
• 0.5 lb prosciutto di Parma, finely minced (Combine with the seared sausage and grind together.)
• 2 celery (Chopped.)
• 2 shallots (Chopped.)
• 3 scallions (Chopped.)
• 1 medium yellow onion (Chopped.)
• extra-virgin olive oil (For blending the soffritto, sautéing the broccoli rabe, tossing, and finishing; use a big drizzle for blending and 2 tbsp for the separate pan.)
• 2 cup dry white wine (Reduce until nearly evaporated.)
• 4 cup chicken stock (Plus more as needed during the long simmer and to loosen the ragù.)
• 2 Parmesan rinds (Use 2–3 rinds; bundle in cheesecloth.)
• 1 lb broccoli rabe (Trimmed.)
• 1 tsp Calabrian chili (Minced; or use 1 tsp Calabrian chili paste.)
• 2 garlic cloves (Very thinly sliced, preferably with a mandoline.)
• 1 lb pasta (Or less; cook per serving when possible. Boil in well-salted water.)
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (Plus more for serving; fold in off heat.)
• salt (For the pasta water; season the ragù to taste if needed.)
• water (As needed if the ragù begins to dry out, and pasta water as needed to loosen the finished dish.)

Steps

1. 1

   Remove the casings from the sausage and flatten the meat on a baking sheet to maximize its surface area for browning.

2. 2

   Heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the flattened sausage and sear it on both sides until deeply browned. Remove the sausage and set it aside; do not wipe out the pot, because the browned fond will flavor the soffritto.

3. 3

   When the sausage has cooled slightly, combine it with the minced prosciutto in a food processor, or mix and grind them by hand, until evenly combined.

4. 4

   Put the chopped onion, shallots, scallions, and celery in a blender with a large drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add more olive oil as needed to fully emulsify, then blend until smooth.

5. 5

   Reheat the heavy pot over medium heat. Add the blended soffritto and scrape up the browned fond from the bottom. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the moisture has cooked off and the soffritto is light golden, about 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the dry white wine and reduce it for 10–15 minutes, until it is nearly evaporated.

7. 7

   Stir the ground sausage-and-prosciutto mixture back into the pot.

8. 8

   Add the chicken stock and place the Parmesan rinds in the pot, bundled in cheesecloth.

9. 9

   Bring the ragù to a simmer, then cook it low and slow for at least 4 hours, or 8–10 hours for the full version. Stir occasionally and add more chicken stock or water if it begins to dry out.

10. 10

    Remove the cheesecloth bundle. Taste the ragù and adjust the seasoning only if needed; the cured meats may provide sufficient salt.

11. 11

    When ready to serve, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a separate pan over medium heat.

12. 12

    Add the trimmed broccoli rabe and sauté it briefly.

13. 13

    Add the thinly sliced garlic and minced Calabrian chili. Cook until fragrant.

14. 14

    Add a portion of the finished ragù to the broccoli-rabe pan. Stir to combine and lower the heat.

15. 15

    Boil the pasta in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

16. 16

    Add the cooked pasta directly to the ragù pan. Toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.

17. 17

    Remove the pan from the heat. Fold in the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and finish with a final drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to creamify the sauce.

18. 18

    Serve with additional grated Parmigiano Reggiano if desired.

Notes

The source describes the measurements as approximate and recommends adjusting to taste. Everything after the long ragù simmer comes together quickly. For best quality, cook the pasta per serving when you intend to eat it rather than refrigerating a large assembled batch. Leftover ragù without the broccoli rabe and pasta freezes well. The source does not specify an exact serving yield or a precise quantity of olive oil for the soffritto, tossing, or finishing.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Italian
• pasta
• slow-cooked
• stovetop
• make-ahead
• freezer-friendly