From sausage to sauce: This comforting ragu is simple Italian magic

Name: From sausage to sauce: This comforting ragu is simple Italian magic
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 x 400g cans whole plum (Italian) tomatoes, with juice; 1 tbsp olive oil; 3 Italian pork and fennel sausages, casing removed; 2 medium fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, finely sliced, fronds reserved; 2 medium brown onions, finely diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; ½ tsp fennel seeds; 125ml (½ cup) chicken stock; 250g farfalle pasta; 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained; ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; 30g shaved parmesan

Dive into this delicious pasta dish with a rib-sticking ragu that needs no extra seasoning.

Neil Perry

May 6, 2025

Pair farfalle with sausage, fennel and white beans with a radicchio salad to cut through the richness.William Meppem

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

I love this simple, satisfying pasta dish. Remove the sausages from their casings, and you have perfectly seasoned meat for this ragu – so Italian! If you prefer, you could use chorizo, salami or even prawns instead of the sausages. Serve with a salad of radicchio, fennel and grapes.

Ingredients

2 x 400g cans whole plum (Italian) tomatoes, with juice
1 tbsp olive oil
3 Italian pork and fennel sausages, casing removed
2 medium fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, finely sliced, fronds reserved
2 medium brown onions, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp fennel seeds
125ml (½ cup) chicken stock
250g farfalle pasta
400g can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
30g shaved parmesan

Method

Step 1
Drain the tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Roughly chop the tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook, stirring frequently, until browned. Add the sliced fennel, onion, minced garlic and fennel seeds, and saute until soft and fragrant.
Step 3
Add the chicken stock and tomatoes with their reserved liquid, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Step 4
While the ragu simmers cook the farfalle in a large pan of simmering salted water according to the packet directions until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Drain.
Step 5
Stir the cannellini beans, parsley and cooked pasta through the sauce until the beans have warmed through. Season to taste.
Step 6
To serve, divide among 4 bowls, sprinkle with freshly shaved parmesan and garnish with the reserved fennel fronds.

This recipe has been updated to correct the amount of chicken stock used.

Continue this series

Neil Perry’s 50 all-time greatest winter recipes

Up next

Braised chicken with lemon, oregano and olives

This lovely braised chicken dish gets its zest from slowly simmered lemon. It also works well with sauteed fish such as whiting or snapper fillets, browned during cooking to give them a nice crust. Just make it as described with the chicken stock, then pour over fish.