Do you know borage? It’s an herbaceous plant that grows wild with beautiful blue flowers and is widely used in cooking. In my region, Liguria, it’s traditionally used to make ravioli, also called “di magro” because their filling contains no meat. They’re tasty and delicate at the same time and adapt well to any sauce. Today I won’t stick to the tradition that would serve them simply with a bit of butter and a dusting of Parmesan… too light! At home we love bolder flavors, so what could be better than a flavorful sausage ragù? It’s very simple and in a few minutes you’ll have a dish fit for real chefs!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4 SERVINGS
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 lb 5 oz borage ravioli ((I buy them from Pastificio Leonardi))
- 1 lb 2 oz sausage ((Verzino))
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery ((1 stalk))
- 1 white onion
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper (optional)
Preparation
Let’s start by preparing the vegetables for the soffritto: remove the carrot ends with a small knife and peel it with a vegetable peeler, then wash it under running water. Wash the celery stalk and remove the fibrous outer membrane with the peeler. Finally peel the onion and use half of it. Cut all the vegetables into small dice. At this point take the sausage, remove its casing, break it up with your hands and set it aside.
Place the extra virgin olive oil in a nonstick pan, heat it, then add the chopped onion, carrot and celery. Stir to lightly brown the vegetables. Add the sausage and brown for another 5 minutes. Add the red wine and let it evaporate. Pour in the tomato sauce, add a pinch of sugar to tone down the acidity, season with salt and pepper, stir the ragù and continue cooking over low heat until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally with a spoon: this will take about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Near the end of the ragù’s cooking time, add the borage ravioli to the pot and cook them until they float to the surface (about 3 minutes). When cooked, drain them and transfer them to the pan with the prepared ragù. Gently toss them over the turned-off heat so they combine with the sauce. Serve hot, optionally sprinkling with grated Parmesan.
Notes
Although I would love to make ravioli by hand at home, in real life I almost never have the time, as I think most of you don’t, so I often buy them ready-made. One tip I want to give you is not to buy industrial products — they are cheap but of low quality — instead buy fresh pasta from your trusted pasta maker; you’ll spend a bit more but at least you’ll know what you’re eating and the flavor will be better. For my Genoese friends try Pastificio Leonardi (Mercato Orientale and Piazza Giusti), present on the market for years with fresh and genuine products made as in the past. http://www.pastificioleonardi.it/home/
