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Home » Recipes » Italian Recipes

Rigatoni with Spicy Pork Ragu

Published: Jan 21, 2024 · Modified: Oct 12, 2022 by Samantha Ferraro · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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Spicy pork ragu is a robust pasta dish featuring a hearty tomato based sauce with Italian sausage simmered in red wine, pureed vegetables for a touch of sweetness and a pinch of red pepper flakes for added spice. As the ragu thickens, it becomes the perfect coating for rigatoni pasta.

Spicy pork ragu with rigatoni and topped with grated Parmesan and fresh herbs.
Jump to:
  • About This Recipe
  • 📋 Ingredients
  • 🍋 Substitutions and Variations
  • ⏲️ Instructions
  • 📍 Recipe Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serving Suggestions
  • More Pasta Recipes to Try
  • Rigatoni with Spicy Pork Ragu

About This Recipe

Spicy pork ragu is a robust tomato based sauce with rich Italian sausage that is simmered with red wine, creating a hearty and flavorful blend of Italian comfort food.

The rich tomato sauce gets a hearty texture from a pureed mixture of carrots, onions, and celery, adding a touch of sweetness to the ragu. As the sauce simmers, it thickens up, becoming the perfect coating for rigatoni pasta.

📋 Ingredients

Ingredient for pork ragu with ground sausage, tomato paste, onion, carrot, celery and canned tomatoes.
  • Italian Sausage: I like using a spicy Italian sausage but if you don't like spice, use a sweet mild Italian sausage. If using sausage in the casing, squeeze out the ground sausage and discard casing.
  • Vegetables: A mirepoix is a mix of carrots, onion and celery that are finely chopped and give the sauce structure and a slight sweetness.
  • Canned Tomatoes: Canned whole tomatoes are used in this recipe but crushed or pureed would work great as well. If using whole tomatoes, use an immersion blender to blend the tomatoes right in the can.
  • Tomato Paste: This gives the sauce a touch of sweetness. Sauté the tomato paste into the oil to really open up the flavors.
  • Red Wine: Use a drier red wine such as Cabernet or Chianti.
  • Dried Oregano: Substitute 3-4 sprigs of fresh oregano if dried isn't available. Remove from the stems and chop the leaves.
  • Garlic Cloves: Look for fresh garlic cloves that are tight on the garlic bulb, which is a good sign that it's fresh.
  • Rigatoni Pasta: This shape has small ridges with a large whole that is perfect to scoop up the rich ragu.
  • Parmesan Cheese: Look for an aged Italian Parmesan cheese with the rind. I like saving the rind to put into pasta fagioli.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

🍋 Substitutions and Variations

  • Instead of ground pork sausage, substitute with Italian flavored turkey sausage or a mixture of both sausage and ground turkey.
  • If rigatoni isn't available, look or another hearty pasta shape such as fettuccine, pappardelle or penne rigate.
  • Make the pork ragu in the slow cooker! Cook the ground sausage and vegetables, then add everything, including the sausage and vegetables into a slow cooker and cook on low for low for 4-5 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
  • For a gluten free option, omit the pasta and serve the ground pork ragu over creamy polenta.

⏲️ Instructions

Add spices to the ground sausage and continue cooking until the sausage is cooked through.

Step 1. Heat a large skillet or wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add ground sausage and halfway through cooking, add the spices. Continue cooking until sausage is cooked through, then remove and set aside.

Puree the vegetables in the food processor until finely minced and there are no large pieces left.

Step 2. While the sausage cooks, add the carrot, celery and onion to a food processor and pulse until a fine consistency.

Add chopped garlic and saute for another minute.

Step 3. Add the chopped vegetables and cook for 3-5 minutes to soften, then add the garlic and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes.

Add tomato paste and stir into the sauteed vegetables for a minute.

Step 4. Add the tomato paste and use a spatula to break up the tomato paste into the vegetables.

Pour the red wine into the pot and let the wine reduce, scraping up any meaty bits from the bottom.

Step 5. Pour in the red wine and use a spoon to scrape up any meaty bits from the bottom. Let the wine reduce for another 1-2 minutes.

Add the cooked Italian sausage back into the tomato sauce.

Step 6. Add the crushed tomatoes and ground sausage with any residual drippings back into the Dutch oven and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.

Simmer the pork ragu until the sauce thickens.

Step 7. Place a lid over the top of the pot, leaving a small opening. Simmer the pork ragu for 30-45 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Add the cooked pasta to the pork ragu and stir together.

Step 8. Add the cooked rigatoni to the ragu and toss to combine so all of the sauce coats all of the pasta. Add ¼ cup of starchy pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.

Garnish the pork ragu with basil and Parmesan.

Step 9. Serve the pork ragu garnished with grated Parmesan and fresh basil on top.

📍 Recipe Tips

  • If you don't have a food processor or blender, chop the vegetables as finely as you can.
  • When cooking the ground pork sausage, use a spatula to break up the sausage and cook until you start to see the meat deepen in color and caramelize.
  • When cooking the rigatoni or any pasta, save some of the starchy cooking pasta water and add ¼ cup at a time to the ragu to loosen the sauce a bit.
Pork ragu tossed with rigatoni pasta and finished with grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe FAQs

Can pork ragu be made ahead of time?

Yes, the pork ragu can be made upt o 3 days in advance and tastes even better as the sauce sits for a day.

Can the pureed vegetables be made ahead of time?

Yes, save time by preparing the pureed veggies ahead and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serving Suggestions

Instead of serving the pork ragu with rigatoni, serve the rich ragu over creamy parmesan polenta or garlic mashed potatoes.

Serve the rigatoni and pork pasta with a class of Chinati or Brunello.

More Pasta Recipes to Try

  • Rigatoni alla norma with creamy ricotta cheese and finished with fresh basil and Parmesan.
    Rigatoni Alla Norma
  • Clam pasta with tomatoes and garlic.
    Linguine and Clams
  • Creamy and easy tomato mascarpone sauce with parmesan and fresh basil.
    Creamy Tomato Mascarpone Sauce with Pasta
  • Weeknight gnocchi al forno topped with burrata and fresh basil.
    Four Cheese Gnocchi Al Forno with Sausage

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

Spicy pork ragu with rigatoni and Parmesan.

Rigatoni with Spicy Pork Ragu

Samantha Ferraro

LittleFerraroKitchen.com

Spicy pork ragu is a robust pasta dish with Italian sausage and red wine simmered in a tomato sauce, making it the perfect addition for rigatoni pasta.
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 661 kcal

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • Dutch Oven Braiser

Ingredients
 
 

  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoom red pepper flakes optional
  • 2 large carrots peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 celery roughly chopped
  • ½ yellow onion cut in quarters
  • 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ cup red wine such as chianti or red blend
  • 28 ounce canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For Serving

  • 1 pound cooked rigatoni pasta
  • Fresh basil for garnish
  • Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large skillet or wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add the ground sausage and use a sturdy spatula to break up the sausage. Once the sausage becomes caramelized and begins browning, about half way halfway through the cooking, add the dried oregano and red pepper flakes, if using.
  • Continue cooking until the sausage is cooked through, then remove from the Dutch oven and set aside
  • While the sausage cooks, make the mirepoix. Add the carrot, celery and onion to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped and there are no large pieces left.
  • To the same Dutch oven, add the chopped mirepoix and cook the vegetables for 3-5 minutes to soften, then add the garlic and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and use a spatula to break up the tomato paste into the vegetables and continue cooking for another minute.
  • Pour in the red wine and use a sturdy spatula to scrape up any meaty bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the wine reduce for another 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the crushed tomatoes and ground sausage with any residual drippings back into the Dutch oven and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
  • Place a lid over the top of the pot, leaving a small opening. Simmer the pork ragu for 30-45 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  • Once done, add the cooked rigatoni to the pork ragu and stir to combine so all of the sauce coats all of the pasta. Add ¼ cup of starchy pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
  • Serve the pork ragu garnished with grated Parmesan and fresh basil on top.

Notes

  • If you don't have a food processor or blender, chop the vegetables as finely as you can.
  • When cooking the ground pork sausage, use a spatula to break up the sausage and cook until you start to see the meat deepen in color and caramelize.
  • When cooking the rigatoni or any pasta, save some of the starchy cooking pasta water and and add ¼ cup at a time to the ragu to loosen the sauce a bit.

Nutrition

Calories: 661kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 23gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 1287mgPotassium: 893mgFiber: 6gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 3754IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 4mg
Did you make this recipe?Let us know by leaving a comment and 5 star rating!

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Comments

  1. KitchenComfort says

    January 22, 2024 at 10:55 am

    5 stars
    WOW, this recipe is not only AMAZING but easy to follow. I might tell the Family I got this dish at a Great To-go restaurant Then tell them I got the recipe from Samantha at Little Ferraro Kitchen. I never knew about the Starchy water secret, I do Now. Love this recipe. Thank you Samantha Ferraro.

    Reply
  2. Banke says

    July 23, 2014 at 11:25 am

    5 stars
    I can't believe i'm just now looking at your blog Samantha! All of the food you cook looks AMAZING. Especially this dish!

    xx

    Withlovebanke.blogspot.com

    Reply
    • Samantha says

      July 25, 2014 at 10:22 am

      Hi Banke!!!!! I'm so excited that you finally say my blog!! :))

      Reply
  3. Karla @ Foodologie says

    January 09, 2014 at 5:25 pm

    5 stars
    Ah I remember when I used to get Bon Apetit Magazine. I have one issue saved that's fully of Moroccan inspired dishes like Lamb Tagine that I'm dying to make. Someday...

    Reply
  4. Susan says

    February 06, 2013 at 9:23 am

    5 stars
    I think I ripped open that issue of Bon App before I got out of my elevator. While I haven't cooked anything from it yet, seeing this makes me think I need to get on it ASAP!

    Reply
5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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