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Ingredients
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Sausage Ragu
Pasta & Finish
Method
Sausage Ragu
Prepare and brown sausage
Heat a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil. When shimmering, add the removed sausage meat broken up with a spoon. Cook, stirring and breaking into small pieces, until well browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer browned sausage to a bowl and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pan.
Sweat vegetables
Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery to the pan with the sausage fat. Season lightly with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic, crushed fennel seeds, dried oregano and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
Deglaze and build sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly. Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by about half, 2–3 minutes.
Simmer ragu
Return the browned sausage to the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock, stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, 20–25 minutes to meld flavors and thicken slightly.
Finish the sauce
Stir in the heavy cream and chopped parsley, and season with kosher salt (about 1 tsp) and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Simmer uncovered 2–3 minutes more to incorporate. Stir in 1/4–1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm on the lowest heat while pasta cooks.
Pasta & Finish
Cook mezzi rigatoni
Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil. Add the mezzi rigatoni and cook until al dente according to package directions, usually 9–11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Combine pasta and ragu
Add the drained pasta to the pan with the warm sausage ragu. Toss over medium-low heat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to loosen and create a silky sauce that coats the pasta (you may not need the full cup). If desired, add 1 tbs olive oil for sheen.
Final toss and serve
Remove from heat, stir in the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and torn basil leaves (if using). Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Divide between plates or bowls and finish with an additional sprinkle of grated cheese and a few cracks of black pepper.