An Easy Pasta Sauce Recipe with Tons of Delicious Flavor

This tangy tomato sauce with pork sausages is easy to make and a delicious addition to any pasta dish that can be ready for a fast weeknight family meal.

The beauty of this sauce recipe is due to the amazing flavors that get released as it cooks, and the longer the better. The easy you will want to try to make it is because it is so easy. After making it on a weekend, you will have enough sauce left for one or two pasta meals, as well as delicious sausages that you will want to eat by themselves. I view this as actually two meals in one because all you need is a fresh roll, and the sausage with some of the sauce is an amazing sandwich that is ready to eat.

What Do You Put On Top Of Plain Pasta?

I’ve used butter and parm, pesto or anything I can find in a jar, but for me, this sauce is my favorite to toss on any pasta, regardless of shape, because the flavor is so amazing. I’ve used it with orecchiette, spaghetti or even gnocchi, and it never fails to be fabulous.

Pasta Maker	Gnocchi Board	Pasta Board	Ravioli Maker
Ravioli Press/Stamper	Ricer	Bialetti Pasta Pot	Bamboo Cutting Board Set of 3
Silpat Baking Mat	Santoku Knife	Measuring Cups and Spoons	Stainless Mixing Bowls
Dutch Oven	Mesh Strainers	Stainless Colander	Stainless Steel Fry Pan

Ingredient Recommendations

This recipe offers a lot of flexibility, with a couple of guardrails that you want to be aware of. 

Which Sausages Should I Use?

While I have been favoring chicken or turkey sausages with other recipes, for this one you definitely need pork sausage. It can be spicy if you want that, but the key is the fat. You definitely want a sausage with a typical fat content (like an 80/20 mixture) so that the flavors release into the sauce during the long cooking time. As a chef told me years ago, with beef the flavor is in the meat, but with pork, the flavor is in the fat.

Which Tomatoes Should I Cook With?

I used the Passata sauce that is readily available all around Rome because I prefer a thinner sauce. If you prefer chunky style, of course Roma tomatoes are the way to go. Crush them with your hands, and then run them through a sieve to remove the seeds. If Romas are hard to find, find the ripest available, or use them from the can. All variations of this sauce can be delicious.

Is This Sauce A Little Acidic?

The idea of a tomato sauce being too acidic is something a little strange to me. We all remember the scene in the Godfather when Clemenza adds some sugar to the sauce, but my family never did this. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a tomato sauce that is too acidic. If this is something that is important to you, certainly try to add a teaspoon of sugar while it’s cooking and adjust as you go.

Easy Pasta Sauce Recipe

• Difficulty: Easy
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 120 mins
• Servings: 6-8

Ingredients For An Easy Pasta Sauce

• 8 Pork Sausages
• 2-64 ounce cans (700 grams) of Passata Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup of dry red Wine
• 3 cloves of Garlic
• 1 bunch of Basil
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tb. Tomato Paste
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

1. In a heavy large pot, like a Dutch Oven, cover the bottom with Olive Oil and heat on medium.
2. Add sausages and brown on at least two sides.
3. While browning, dice onion and chop (or crush) the Garlic.
4. When browned, remove the sausage and deglaze the pot with the wine until all brown bits are dissolved and the smell of alcohol has been cooked off.
5. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until clear.
6. Clean and remove the basil leaves from the stems.
7. Add the Tomato passata, an equal amount of water and the basil to the pot.
8. When it begins to boil, still the mixture. If it is too thin for your liking, add the 2 Tb. of tomato paste, still and let thicken.
9. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.
10. Let cook for 90 minutes, checking to make sure it stays thin enough not to burn.
11. Taste occasionally and add salt and pepper to taste.
12. After the fats are released from the sausage (between 90 minutes and two hours), remove from the heat and let it cool.

Serving Suggestions

With this recipe, you can enjoy the sausages as a meal covered in the delicious sauce with some bread. You can also add the sauce to a cooked pasta of your choice with cheese, using the sausages as a meat course (secondi) or as an accompaniment.

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