Potato And Sausage Torrelli With Ragù Recipes

Steps:

• With the tip of a small, sharp knife, slit open the sausage casings. Crumble the meat into a wide, heavy skillet or Dutch oven and set over medium-low heat. If the meat is not rendering enough fat to coat the bottom of the pan as it begins to cook, add olive oil one tablespoon at a time until the meat is frying gently, not steaming. Sauté, breaking up any large chunks, until all the meat has turned opaque (do not let it brown), about 5 minutes.
• Add onion, carrot, celery and parsley and stir. Drizzle in more oil if the pan seems dry. Cook over very low heat, stirring often, until the vegetables have melted in the fat and are beginning to caramelize, and the meat is toasty brown. This may take as long as 40 minutes, but be patient: It is essential to the final flavors.
• Add tomatoes and their juice, breaking up the tomatoes with your hands or with the side of a spoon. Bring to a simmer, then add thyme and rosemary and let simmer, uncovered, until thickened and pan is almost dry, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Mix tomato paste with 1 cup hot water. Add to pan, reduce heat to very low, and continue cooking until the ragù is velvety and dark red, and the top glistens with oil, about 10 minutes more. Remove herb sprigs. Sprinkle black pepper over, stir and taste.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil pasta until just tender. Scoop out 2 cups cooking water, drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Quickly add a ladleful of ragù, a splash of cooking water, stir well and let cook 1 minute. Taste for doneness. Repeat, adding more cooking water or ragù, or both, until pasta is cooked through and seasoned to your liking.
• Pour hot pasta water into a large serving bowl to heat it. Pour out the water and pour in the pasta. Top with remaining ragù, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately. Pass grated cheese at the table, if desired.

Steps:

• 1 Prepare the ragù. Then, place the whole potatoes in a pot with cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool. 2 Peel the potatoes and mash them with a ricer or food mill until smooth. Stir in the butter, 1/2 cup of the cheese, the nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. 3 Sprinkle two baking sheets with flour. 4 Prepare the pasta. With a 2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, or a small glass, cut the dough into circles. Place a teaspoon of the filling on one side of each circle. Dip a fingertip in cool water and moisten the dough circle halfway around. Fold the dough over the filling to form a semicircle. Press the edges firmly together to seal. Gather the two corners of the dough and pinch them together. Place the tortelli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. 5 Cover and refrigerate, turning the pieces occasionally, up to 3 hours. (For longer storage, freeze the pasta on the baking sheets. Transfer to heavy-duty plastic bags. Seal tightly and freeze up to one month. Do not thaw before cooking.) 6 When ready to cook the tortelli, bring at least 4 quarts of water to a boil. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the pasta to the boiling water with salt to taste. Stir well. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the pasta is tender yet still firm to the bite. 7 Spoon some of the sauce into a heated serving bowl. Drain the pasta well and add it to the bowl. Top with the remaining sauce and 1/2 cup cheese. Serve immediately. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and tip in the carrot, spring onions, garlic, mushrooms, oregano and fennel, along with a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 mins.
• Add the sausagemeat and cook until browned all over, then add the chopped tomatoes and ketchup, along with a pinch of salt and 100ml water. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the sauce is thick, about 20 mins, stirring now and again. Season to taste, then serve with buttery mashed potato, pasta or couscous.