Photography: Jess Belnick
When you’re craving comfort food without the fuss, this pork, fennel and chilli ragu from the Clove app is the answer. Inspired by Sardinian flavours, it swaps onion for fresh fennel and uses spicy Italian sausages for rich depth without long cooking times. A splash of white wine and a hint of chilli bring brightness and warmth, while slow-simmered tomatoes create a luscious sauce that clings perfectly to gnocchetti or any short pasta. This ragu is hearty yet simple, making it ideal for weeknight dinners or leisurely weekend lunches. Serve with crusty bread and Parmesan for a dish that feels rustic, bold and satisfying.
For more pasta dishes, try this quick and easy zucchini and asparagus pasta, simple spaghetti alla Norma or yummy garlic prawn spaghettini with saffron and thyme butter.
Ingredients
Method
Remove the sausages from their casing by squeezing out in small pieces into a medium bowl and set aside.
Pick the fennel fronds from the stalks, then finely dice the white part of the bulb. Finely slice the garlic cloves. Tip the tins of whole tomatoes into a medium bowl and crush with a potato masher or your hands, remove any tough bits as you go.
In a medium-sized frypan over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the sausage pieces. Break up the sausage pieces with the back of a wooden spoon, you want the texture to be like a rough mince. Cook for about 5 minutes, until well browned and any juices have evaporated.
Remove meat from the pan, tip out any excess oil, then add the white wine and deglaze the pan, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom. Tip the deglazing liquid into a small bowl and set aside.
Put the frypan back on medium heat, add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, then saute the fennel fronds, diced fennel and garlic for 5 minutes, until the fennel softens and smells sweet.
Add the fried sausage back to the pan along with the deglazing juices, give it a good stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli flakes, if using, then fill one of the tomato tins with water and add to the pan. Reduce heat to medium low, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and comes together.
Taste and add more salt or chilli if needed, then turn off the heat.
Serve with gnocchetti or any short-shaped pasta.
