| Ragu is
the quintessential, beloved red sauce for southern Italians, and
especially those from Campania. This ragu, which results from
cooking Isernio’s sausages with white wine, onion and diluted
tomato paste is especially velvety and creamy. You will also
note that there is no garlic in this recipe. Rarely do southern
Italians use garlic and onion in the same dish.
Isernio’s classic Hot or
Mild Italian sausage can be used in this satisfying recipe. Due
to its slow-simmered nature, it is best not to use the chicken
varieties, which tend to dry out. Lamb would also be excellent.
The ragu and filling can also be used to make Rotoli di
Melanzane (stuffed and rolled eggplant slices), another
superb dish (note variation at end of this recipe).
Cooking Tip: With
stuffed pastas such as this, the smaller the pasta, the higher
the ratio of pasta to filling, and thus the heavier of the two
choices. With smaller shapes, you will get the most servings.
Make your choice depending on the result you are seeking - and
the amount of stuffing you wish to do!
Note: To make this process go faster, cook and cool the pasta
shells while letting the ragu simmer. Add at least 4 heaping
tablespoons of salt to each gallon of water. That may sound like
a lot, but it is necessary to give the pasta flavor. Also, the
ragu and filling can both be made a day ahead. Likewise, the
pasta can be boiled ahead, but do not stuff until ready to serve
as excess liquid from the filling may ruin the texture of the
dish if allowed to sit too long. |
