Penne Ragu with "Sausage"

Penne Ragu with Sausage




Prep Time: 30 Min
              Cook Time: 2 - 2 1/2 Hours

Yields: 4 + Servings

WHAT YOU NEED

• 400g Dry Penne Pasta
• 340g Impossible Beef (Sub Beyond Meat or Alternative Ground If Desired)
• 2 Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausages
• 1/4 C EVOO
• 3 cloves Garlic, crushed & minced
• 2 Yellow Onions, diced
• 2 stalks Celery, diced
• 2 Bell Peppers, diced
• 1 Carrot, peeled & diced
• 1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 1 C White Wine
• 796ml Whole San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 C PC Plant-Based Chikn Broth (sub vegetable broth if needed)
• 1/2 C 2% Milk
• 5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme, leaves removed
• Handful Fresh Basil leaves
• 1 Tsp. Dry Oregano
• 1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/2 Tsp. Onion Powder
• 3/4 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/2 Tsp. + Sea Salt
• Cracked Pepper
• OPTIONAL - Hard Cheese Rind
  
• TO FINISH - 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter, 2 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, 1/2 C Grana Padano, shredded, pasta water.
• GARNISH - Fresh Parsley and / or basil, grana padano

DIRECTIONS

• Begin heating the EVOO, garlic, oregano, thyme, and pepper flakes, on just about medium heat in your largest skillet. Mine was 17" for reference. Once heated, let everything sizzle for 30 seconds and drop in some torn basil leaves, stir, and let them go about 30 seconds before adding the onion, celery, peppers, carrots, and a generous pinch of both salt & pepper. Stir and cook 7 -8 minutes. Move the veggies to the outside of the skillet and drop in the Impossible Beef. Split the casing on the sausages and crumble the "meat" in to the skillet. Brown the meat, breaking it apart as it browns in the skillet. Don't worry about any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet, we'll get those off!​

• Once browned, season again with s & p, stir everything together, and let it cook another minute. Stir in the tomato paste and let that go another minute. Pour in the wine and simmer until mostly reduced followed by the milk, broth, and whole tomatoes. Break up the whole tomatoes a little bit and wait for the sauce to come to a boil. Once boiled, reduce heat to medium low, add the 1/2 tsp. salt, garlic & onion powders, and the optional hard cheese rind.
• Simmer the sauce for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring every 15 or so minutes. Add additional broth if sauce begins to thicken too much before the end of the cook time. Taste the sauce and adjust your salt / pepper if desired.
• With 25 minutes remaining in the sauce, bring a large pot of cold, salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook to al dente.
• Strain the pasta directly in to the skillet with the sauce, carrying some pasta water along with you. Continue to stir and cook the penne in the skillet until desired doneness is achieved. Stir in the parsley and butter until melted before adding the grana padano and a ladle of pasta water to emulsify everything. Stir until creamy and combined. Pluck out the hard cheese rind if you decided to use it.
• Serve garnished with additional herbs & grana padano. ENJOY!

HAPPY VEG