Recipe by Executive Chef Neil Taylor

Tortiglioni with Sausage & Red Wine Ragu and Sour Cream

 

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 12 mild Italian sausages, uncased & roughly  broken up into pieces 
• 1/4 bottle Cedar Creek Estate Pinot Noir
• 1/2 28oz tin san marzano tomatoes, crushed with a good pinch of salt and black pepper 
• 500ml chicken stock
• 1 pk dried tortiglioni or your favourite pasta 4 tbs sour cream 
• 4 tbs chopped italian parlsey 
• 1 tbs red wine vinegar 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• Pecorino romano or parmesan to serve

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 F 

2. In a heavy based dutch oven over a medium-high  heat fry the sausage meat until golden brown and nicely caramelised, making sure that break any larger  pieces up using a wooded spoon (some larger pieces  are ok but not too large) 

3. Pour the wine into the pan scraping the bottom  of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift up all the caramelised sausage meat and reduce the wine by ½ 

4. Add the crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer

5. Add the chicken stock and bring back to a simmer 

6. Season with salt and pepper if needed and then cover  with a tight fitting lid and put into the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, checking and stiring half way.  For the last 15 minutes of cooking remove the lid and let the top of the ragu start to caramelise slightly. It’s ready when the liquids have reduced by about ¾ and  the ragu looks thick and nicely reduced.

7. Meanwhile put a large pot of water onto boil with a some salt ready to cook the pasta and cook the pasta  as per the packets instructions 

8. To serve bring the ragu up to the boil and add the  sour cream, chopped parsley and the red wine  vinegar, taste and season if needed, the ragu should  now look glossy, thick and slightly creamy. Add the  pasta to the ragu, gently bringing the two together in  the pan and serve onto warmed plates 

9. Grate over some pecorino or parmesan and tuck in!