Change is in the air. We are moving house in a week, and while it’s a local move, it still requires dismantling a life, glass by glass, book by book. Our belongings are wrapped and boxed in ambiguous cartons that creep along and up the walls, towering over the furniture with an insistency that precludes denial. In a week our life will be unpacked in a new home and environment, our belongings liberated and rapidly arranged then rearranged to produce a new vignette. For now, the dust bunnies and memories swirl about, gathering in corners and getting in our heads. And our dog is behaving strangely. I think she is hoping and fearing that she will also be packed.
Change is cathartic. It’s also unsettling. For all of the moving we’ve done in our family life, you would think this would be a piece of cake – the next step in our family adventure. Is it because I am older now? Or perhaps it’s because the children are older, fully aware and present in this move, packing their belongings and looking forward to our next step in their teenaged lives – a time which guarantees uncertainty with or without a move. I see how they watch me and listen to my words and mood, using me as a measure, while secretly I watch them back, feeling curious and just a little guilty about this event. After all, I am their mother. 
So I reflect on our previous moves, from one country to another, to languages I would have yet to learn, searching for homes and a community to insert myself and my family into. This time we are simply moving zip codes, but this move has its baggage, too. So, today I will do what I do best and what has always served us well. I will cook a comforting and nourishing family meal, and we will share it for dinner as we sit together at our well traveled kitchen table.
Spaghetti with Italian Sausage Ragout
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This comforting spaghetti dish features a rich Italian sausage ragout, simmered with red wine and tomatoes, perfect for a nourishing family meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, cut in 1/4 inch dice
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crumbled sausage and sauté until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet. Add the minced garlic and diced red bell pepper to the pan and sauté until the pepper is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the oregano and crushed red pepper flakes, cooking for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock, stirring to combine. Return the sausage to the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the ragout for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- While the ragout is simmering, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the ragout, tossing to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to reach the desired consistency.
- Serve the pasta with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes
For a spicier dish, increase the amount of crushed red pepper flakes. This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen the sauce. Serve with a side salad or crusty bread for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Sodium: 950 mg
- Fat: 20 grams
- Carbohydrates: 65 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Protein: 22 grams
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
Lovely write-up. After a lifetime of wanderlust, I’ve found that the ‘air of change’ you mention is strangely comforting to me. There’s a space you inhabit between domiciles, when you’ve left one but haven’t yet arrived at another. That space has become home in and of itself. Hard to explain to those who are more rooted. Good luck to all of you in your new location. And nice ragù too, by the way.