Ground beef, veal, and even pork have been used as a protein in spaghetti. Traditionally Italian’s use wild bore as the protein in their famous ragu. Wild bore not being plentiful in our area. An accessible, tasty and cost efficient alternative would be sausage.

What’s also wonderful about sausage is the options of spices and heat. When buying I do suggest buy quality as this is cheap meat as is. I like heat so I often opt for hot. It brings consistency of heat through the dish. Even my husband who doesnt care for heat likes the hot sausage because its not over powering. 

Sometimes you see recipes where the sausages are cut up often on a diagonal to posh it up a bit. I’m going an entirely difference route. I suggest getting your butcher to remove he casing all together. This method perfumes the entire sauce with the herbs and spices of the sausages. Which are loaded with flavor. 

Ingredients 

• 1 yellow onions
• Olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly 
• 1 roasted red pepper chopped
• 2 Bay leaves
• 3 fresh basil leaves chopped
• 3 hot sausages
• 1 can stewed tomatoes cut by hand 
• Salt and pepper
• Pizza sauce or tomatoe paste (optional)
• Grated parmesan cheese  (optional garnish)

 Method 

1. Heat the oil in a deep skillet.
2. Add 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves
3. Chopped up onion, sweat them until they turn clear.
4. Brown the Italian sausage 
5. Add canned tomatoes and hand cut any large pieces.
6. Add Bay leaves. Chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Also the last thinly sliced garlic clove.
7. Boil down to desired consistency.
8. Add a dash of pizza sauce to thicken or tomatoe paste to thicken if desired. 

 Note Staggering the garlic like this allows for ‘layered’ tasting. Allowing some garlic to be browned for flavor with the onion and one to be used while it’s potent during the boil down.