Spicy Sausage Ragu Wine Pairing

A warming, hearty autumn meal – Spicy Sausage Ragu Wine Pairing: Pasta is a firm family favourite in my house. I try not to stick to the same pasta recipe’s all the time and I like to find new recipe’s to try out too. That said, one recipe that I prepare that is always popular is Spicy Sausage Ragu. I picked up a recipe card from a Sainsbury’s store years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. If I ask my kids what they’d like for dinner this meal is often requested so I hope it’s a hit in your house too.

Spicy Sausage Ragu Wine Pairing – the recipe

To make a generous four person meal you will need a 454g pack of good quality Lincolnshire sausages. Cook the sausages and set them aside to cool a little. Meanwhile chop and fry an onion and crush two garlic cloves into the pan until they begin to brown. Next slice one red and one yellow pepper thinly and add these to the pan for about 5 minutes. Stir in two teaspoons of fennel seeds and two teaspoons of paprika. Add a 397g tin of chopped tomatoes and 300ml of chicken stock. Next add a tablespoon of freshly chopped oregano and a teaspoon of soft brown sugar. Season and bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Cook 300g of fusilli pasta and chop your sausages into bitesize pieces. Add the sausages to the sauce and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the sauce has reduced and thickened.

Serve the sauce over your pasta with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Spicy Sausage Ragu Wine Pairing – the wine

This meal is enjoyed by the grown ups as much as the kids. So to enhance our meal I’d like a nice glass of wine to complement it. We need a wine with high acidity to cut through the fat from the sausages but also to stand up to the acidity from the tomatoes.

This is very much an English pasta meal but as it’s inspired by Italy I think I fancy an Italian red wine to accompany it. So a Sangiovese or a Barolo perhaps?…

If you’d rather drink a white with this meal: Sticking with my Italian theme how about a Soave Classico. Giving us high acidity and medium body…what do you think Erica?

Very nice choices Julie, I will bring the wines when are you next cooking this dish?

This sounds like a mid-week meal to me,  if so then Barolo might be a wee bit overpowering as it is usually very intense in flavour and high in alcohol, but Sangiovese yes yes yes. Alternatively try a Chianti Classico or for something slightly different Valpolicella Classico is another red wine option that ticks the high acid box. No comments for the white, a perfect choice showing off your recently acquired WSET Level 2 wine knowledge!  Bravo! 

Julie Strutt DipM and Erica Dent DipWSET, Enjoy Discovering Wine

Save