Tried and trusted Italian flavours
There seems to be no end to the pleasure that comes from an Italian-style tomato-based sauce. Whether it’s a simple pomodoro, a quick passata spiked with pancetta and parmesan or a slow-cooked ragu rich with vegetables and meat, tomato-based sauces are loyal long love affairs to celebrate year after year.
In this recipe of Spicy Sausage Aubergine Nduja Ragu, a combination of passata and fresh tomatoes form the rich umami flavour around juicy soft aubergine and courgette. A double hit of sausage comes from Ndjua blended through the sauce then good reliable Cumberlands (or Italian pork sausages when you can find them) nestled on top. This is Italian comfort food at its best.
Creating a rich tomato sauce, quickly
There are a few little tricks that can be applied when wanting to achieve a deliciously thick oily umami-rich sauce in less than an hour. Passata is tomato magic in a bottle and only requires a short cooking time with powerful results. Using a fatty homemade or high-quality shop-bought chicken stock will do wonders in bringing texture and flavour to the sauce which is incomparable to anything else. Finally stirring through flavoursome olive oil and grated parmesan cheese are instant boosters and with all these elements combined you really can create the perfect sauce in an hour’s cooking time.
How to perfectly cook aubergine
One of the most desirable elements of this dish is the soft aubergine that’s been slowly cooked to where the structure has started to melt. Some people think it’s no longer necessary to pre-salt aubergine before cooking, but actually, like all salt brining, there is a valid reason for this technique. As a result of the salt drawing out excess liquid, a drier more sponge-like texture is left behind, making way for the aubergine to suck and soak up flavours. After slowly simmering the structure starts to break down a little and ‘melt’ into the sauce, producing a very creamy and desirable mouth feel and taste.
Nduja adds the perfect spice
Originating from the Southern part of Italy Calabria, Nduja is a spicy, spreadable pork sausage which can be eaten on bread or blended into pasta and other sauces. Although it’s been around for a very long time, Nduja’s popularity jumped around 2016 in the UK and US and is now a readily available product on supermarket shelves and online shops. The fact that it’s fashionable shouldn’t be a focus – as an ingredient, Nduja’s wonderful unique flavour really elevates a dish to something special. Go for the jarred type, rather than the sausage, it’s easier to cook with and store neatly in the fridge.
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Spicy Sausage Aubergine Nduja Ragu
A heaty comforting Italian-inspired dish of rich aubergine, courgette, and tomato Nduja ragu, topped with pork sausages and a shaved fennel salad.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Pork
- Method: Stove Top Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 thick pork sausages (Cumberland or Italian pork sausages)
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 aubergine
- 1 medium courgette
- 14 dattel or round cherry tomatoes
- 2 tsp fennel seeds
- 125ml homemade chicken stock (or a high-quality shop-bought version)
- 1 tbsp Nduja
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp raw sugar
- 125ml passata
- Olive oil
- 50g grated parmesan + extra for garnish
Shaved Fennel Salad
- 1 small fennel bulb, sliced very fine
- Large handful of crispy lettuce leaves (such as Cos)
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Splash of olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Cut the aubergine into small chunks, approximately 2cm x 2cm. place in a bowl, season with salt, toss to combine and set aside whilst you prepare the other vegetables.
- Cut the courgette into chunks the same size as the aubergine. Slice tomatoes in half.
- Chop onion fine. Crush garlic clove.
- Using a small frying pan, dry roast fennel seeds over medium heat until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar & pestle and crush down.
- Heat some oil in a frying pan and over medium heat start frying the aubergine. After about 10 minutes when it’s starting to brown a little and get soft, pour in a splash of water (or white wine), turn the heat down and cover with a lid. Allow the aubergine to sauté like this for 5 minutes.
- By this point the aubergine should be very soft and surrounded by some pan juices. Remove the aubergine from the pan, wipe it down, and add another splash of oil. Start frying the onions until soft. Add garlic, courgette pieces, chopped tomatoes and crushed fennel seeds along with a good pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Combine chicken stock, Nduja, red wine vinegar, sugar and passata in a bowl, whisk to combine. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and allow it to come to a boil. Once boiling turn to simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Fry sausages over medium heat until nicely browned. Add to the vegetable ragu, coating in the sauce and heat through for 5 minutes.
- Make the salad: Combine sliced fennel and lettuce in a bowl. Add a splash of olive oil, squuze of lemon, spinkle of salt and conbine.
- To finish: Remove ragu from the heat. Take out sausages. Drizzle the ragu generously with olive oil, add grated parmesan and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt if needed.
- Divide vegetable ragu between plates, top with sausages, and garnish with a side of fennel salad. Grate over extra parmesan cheese if you desire.
Keywords: best ragu recipes, pork ragu recipes, italian sausage recipes, Italian comfort food recipes
