Pipe Rigate with Sausage Ragu

You know how they say we eat for our blood type? Well I’m pretty much convinced mine is A Pasta.

Or wait. Maybe they say we SHOULD eat for our blood type. In that case I’m A Pasta Tacos Mushrooms Pizza Cheese Wine.

But hold on. Now that I think about it, I think it’s eat RIGHT for our blood type. Hmm, in that case I’m just A-hole. Haaaardy har har!

Oh.

So the thing is, it happened. It became December when we were looking the other way and there’s nothing we can do about it. The tree is up, the neighborhoods sparkle, it’s cold outside (actually, it’s pretty warm here. matter of fact it’s going to be 70 today. are we going to die?), and your credit card is on TOUR for the next 22 days.

Want your blankie?

AND, on top of that, it’s Monday. What a pest, right? Who has time for this, right? It’s like, get off my back, Monday, right? Don’t call me Shirley, right?

Rrrrrrrright?

Okay, real quick – in situations like the above, I never know whether or not to capitalize the first letter since it’s the beginning of a sentence, and then keep it capitalized until I actually change letters, OR do what I did in capitalizing the first letter, then lower casing the rest, OR just NOT capitalize the first letter and keep it all lower case so that it looks more appealing to the eye.

OH the challenges in being a painfully annoying blogger.

So here’s what I propose during this murderous month of mayhem: some serious chow time on a super simple, comforting ragu with spicy sausage, sautéed vegetables, wilted greens, toothy little cute pastas all simmered and shimmered in a light creamy tomato sauce.

 

. . . And your blankie.

You’re gonna need a bigger bowl.

Pipe Rigate with Sausage Ragu:

What it took for 4:

* 3 cups pipe rigate (or your favorite short pasta)
* 2 links Italian sausage, casings removed and torn into small chunks
* 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 carrots, peeled and minced
* 1/2 red onion, finely minced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 pinch crushed red pepper
* 1 (10 oz) can tomato sauce
* 1/3 cup milk
* 3 cups baby spinach
* 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente; drain and return to the pot.

In the meantime, bring a large skillet to medium high. Add the sausage and brown all over, crumbling with a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Back in the pan, add the oil and bring the heat back to a medium-high. Add the onions and carrots; sauté until they start to soften, 6 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper; sauté another minute or two. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the sausage back to the skillet. Then add the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Add the milk, reduce the heat and simmer about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.

Off the heat, add the pasta, spinach and parmesan cheese. Toss toss toss to combine and wilt the spinach, two minutes. Toss in another small pinch of salt and pepper. Taste it. Sick, huh?

Divide and conquer.

*you can always up the tomato sauce for more tomato sauciness. * and could always add a little red wine before the tomato sauce for a little more richness. * that is if you’ve not already drunk it all. *or is it drank it all?

yyyyyyyyyyyyyyes. Okay see I liked that.

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27 Responses to Pipe Rigate with Sausage Ragu

  1. Rachel Cooks December 3, 2012 at 8:17 am #
    YUM. Can you bring this to me in the hospital when I'm giving birth? Pretty please?
  2. Laurie {Simply Scratch} December 3, 2012 at 8:19 am #
    I want. I need...
  3. Brian @ A Thought For Food December 3, 2012 at 8:34 am #
    HAHAHA! I am a huge pasta nut too. Can't live without it. If I ever needed to eat gluten-free, I might cry a little. This looks freakin' awesome!
  4. Christina December 3, 2012 at 8:34 am #
    that just might be on my dinner table tonight...
  5. Amy December 3, 2012 at 8:39 am #
    YUM. Just....yum.
  6. Kathryn December 3, 2012 at 9:10 am #
    I definitely want a little blanket made of pasta. And sausage. And wine.
  7. Sommer@ASpicyPerspective December 3, 2012 at 9:52 am #
    BEV!!! You have just diagnosed my blood type as well. I knew I could count on you!
  8. Mandie @ Oh So Decadent December 3, 2012 at 10:20 am #
    If your blood type is A Pasta, then that is mine as well. Nothing beats a steaming bowl of pasta straight from the pot... Who am I kidding, it never even makes it to a bowl. But this pasta caught my eye in 0.000034 seconds and now all I want is to cozy up next to my stove and devour it. So yummy!
  9. Jess @ Feast with Me December 3, 2012 at 10:21 am #
    Annoying? More like super amusing lol. I have so much fun reading your posts because there's an actual unique voice to them. Not just "I made this cuz it was cold. It's super good" I think I almost spit my coffee onto my laptop when I read "Brah" the other day. Also? Not to be super kiss-up here BUT this pasta makes me wish we were best friends. Then I could come over and taste test. Mmmm.
  10. Heather Christo December 3, 2012 at 10:54 am #
    oh Bev- you just hit all my buttons....
  11. Paula December 3, 2012 at 11:14 am #
    Yum! I know what I'm having for dinner tonight.
  12. Ruthy @ omeletta December 3, 2012 at 11:28 am #
    LOL I am absolutely there with you with the weird second-guessing-grammar-blogger headspace! I do it all the time :) Also re:how on earth is it December already!? So sausage and pasta definitely makes me feel a bit better about that, thanks!
  13. Olivia @ Liv Lives Life December 3, 2012 at 11:37 am #
    "A Pasta Tacos Mushrooms Pizza Cheese Wine" - haha! I so know what you mean. The pasta looks just amazing, too! :-)
  14. Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen December 3, 2012 at 11:50 am #
    I'm glad I have you in my life to make me laugh. A-hole. Ha!
  15. Heather @ Heather's Dish December 3, 2012 at 12:05 pm #
    Insert face-plant into pasta bowl HERE.
  16. Cassie | Bake Your Day December 3, 2012 at 12:50 pm #
    A pasta...I love that. And I love the carrots in this ragu.
  17. Erin December 3, 2012 at 2:13 pm #
    Definitely need this in my tummy soon!
  18. Julie @ Table for Two December 3, 2012 at 2:13 pm #
    look at that sauce and the sausage!! i love everything in this - perfect down-home dish!
  19. Katie December 3, 2012 at 3:08 pm #
    If you're A Pasta, I'm O+ Cake. Although this little recipe just might swing me over to your side...
  20. claire @ the realistic nutritionist December 3, 2012 at 3:18 pm #
    Mammmmaaaaa.
  21. Katie @ Blonde Ambition December 3, 2012 at 5:17 pm #
    Those pastas are so cute! And I'm a sucker for any pasta sauce that is sausage-based. Blood type A Sausage over here.
  22. Elizabeth @Food Ramblings December 3, 2012 at 6:30 pm #
    Let's talk about the weather!! It's too darn hot for December! Baking today just didn't seem right!
  23. Rachael {SimplyFreshCooking} December 3, 2012 at 7:08 pm #
    Oh you kill me! I need to eat this!
  24. Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious December 6, 2012 at 6:34 am #
    How have I never had pipe rigate before? Yeah, that needs to change ASAP with this amazingness here.
  25. Ardex Cd Fine Concrete Dressing December 8, 2012 at 9:04 am #
    Love pasta!
  26. Tyler March 1, 2013 at 6:41 am #
    Thanks for another great recipe- this was delicious!

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  1. - eets’a spysay meat’a sauce’a – | nineteen spices - April 15, 2015 […] with this meal. it’s a recipe that i have just slightly adapted (i added wine, duh) from bev, my go-to sheblogger. you guys, don’t compare pictures of our dishes, ok? she has a […]

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