Whip up this inexpensive midweek pasta dish in double-quick time and pretend you’ve been labouring in the kitchen for hours.
I recently shared my recipe for slow-cooked sausage ragu with Good Food readers. The recipe takes full advantage of the extra seasonings already built into sausages to make a luxurious pasta sauce, rich with wine and herbs.
Sounds mouth-watering, doesn’t it? It also takes a good two hours to make!
Well, this is my midweek equivalent. It’s luscious and meaty and full of flavour. And you’ll have it on the table in 30 minutes flat.
I hope you love it as much as I do!
1 tbsp cooking salt, for cooking pasta
350g dry linguine pasta
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ brown onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
500g Italian pork sausages, meat removed from casing – see note
2 tbsp tomato paste
400g can diced tomato
250ml (1 cup) salt-reduced chicken stock
1 tsp Italian seasoning (see note)
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp cooking salt
¼ tsp black pepper
250ml (1 cup) thickened cream
¼ cup (25g) parmesan cheese, finely grated, plus extra to serve
100g (3 heaped cups) baby spinach
Bring 3 litres of water to the boil in a large pot. Add the salt and linguine and cook according to the packet instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes until soft.
Add the sausage meat and cook until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up as you go. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, then add the canned tomato, chicken stock, Italian seasoning, chilli flakes and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Mix in the cream and parmesan, stirring until the parmesan has melted. Then stir in the spinach and allow to wilt.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and add to the pasta sauce. Toss until combined. Serve immediately, garnished with extra parmesan.
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