Ragù is a classic Italian meat sauce that is often made with beef or pork and simmered for hours to achieve a rich, flavorful sauce that perfectly complements pasta. However, there’s no need to let any , a traditional Italian boiled sausage made out of pork, go to waste either. Ragù is the perfect solution for leftover cotechino into a delicious and hearty pasta sauce.
To begin, gather your ingredients. You will need leftover cotechino, your choice of pasta, one onion, one carrot, one stick of celery, one can of chopped tomatoes, and a generous splash of red wine. You may also want to add a little bit of olive oil and some freshly grated Parmesan cheese as a topping.
Start by preparing the vegetables. Dice the onion, carrot, and celery finely so that they cook down and become a sweet base for the ragù. Heat a large pot with some olive oil over medium heat and add the vegetables to the pot. Cook them until they are soft and fragrant.
Next, add the leftover cotechino to the pot. You can either dice it finely or roughly chop it up. Break it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks and browns, letting it get crispy and caramelized on the outside.
Once the cotechino has been cooking for a few minutes, pour in some red wine. This will add a rich depth of flavor to the ragù. Simmer the mixture until the wine has evaporated and the sauce is thickening.
Finally, add the canned tomatoes to the pot. Stir them into the cotechino and vegetables, scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate any browned bits. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least thirty minutes so that the flavors have time to meld together.
While the ragù is simmering, boil a large pot of salted water for your pasta. Cook your chosen pasta until it is al dente, then drain it and add it directly to the pot with the ragù. Toss the pasta with the sauce until it is evenly coated.
Serve the dish hot, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The savory cotechino and rich ragù sauce will pair perfectly with your chosen pasta. The dish is hearty and flavorful, perfect for a chilly winter evening.
There are many ways to leftover cotechino into a delicious meal, but ragù is a classic choice that will satisfy your taste buds. With just a few simple ingredients and some time over the stove, you can create a rich and hearty Italian dish that will be sure to please everyone at the dinner table. So the next time you have some leftover cotechino, don’t let it go to waste – transform it into a delicious bowl of ragù!