Spicy Sausage Spaghetti Bolognese

Ingredients:

• 100g pancetta or salted bacon
• 500g ground meat (pork, veal, or a mix)
• 100g ‘nduja sausage
• 400g spaghetti or preferred pasta
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry red wine (Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g puréed tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup milk
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Instructions:

1. Cook pancetta or bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove and set aside, keeping the rendered fat in the skillet.
2. Add ground meat to the skillet, cooking until browned. Remove excess fat.
3. Add ‘nduja sausage to the skillet, cooking until it melts into the meat mixture.
4. Cook spaghetti or pasta according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
5. Heat oil and butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, cooking until softened.
6. Pour in red wine, reducing by half.
7. Stir in tomato paste, puréed tomatoes, salt, black pepper, sugar, and bay leaves. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until thickened.
8. Stir in milk and cooked pancetta or bacon, cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
9. Remove bay leaves from the sauce and discard.
10. Serve spicy sausage spaghetti Bolognese over cooked pasta, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese.

Red Wine Substitutes:

• If you prefer not to use red wine, you can substitute it with beef broth. This will still provide depth of flavor to the sauce without the alcohol content.

Storage:

• Leftover Spicy Sausage Spaghetti Bolognese can be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure the sauce is cooled completely before transferring it to containers for storage.

Freezing:

• To freeze the Spicy Sausage Spaghetti Bolognese, transfer the sauce to an airtight container once it has cooled down. Leave some space at the top of the container to allow for expansion during freezing.
• Label the container with the date and contents for easy identification.
• The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months without compromising the quality. When ready to use, thaw the sauce overnight in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• You can freeze the sauce with or without the spaghetti. If you choose to freeze it with spaghetti, consider slightly undercooking the pasta before adding it to the sauce. This will help prevent the pasta from becoming mushy when reheated.

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your Spicy Sausage Spaghetti Bolognese stays fresh and flavorful for future enjoyment, whether you’re storing it in the refrigerator for a few days or freezing it for longer-term storage.