Sunday Sausage Ragù with Rigatoni

Heat the olive oil in a heavy 5–6 qt (5 l) Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage in large pieces and press it into an even layer. Leave it alone for 4–5 minutes until a deep brown crust forms underneath, then break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon and keep cooking another 5–6 minutes until well browned all over. Lift the sausage out with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.

Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt to the sausage fat and cook, stirring and scraping the fond, 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and pepper flakes for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste and cook 2–3 minutes until it darkens from bright red to brick red and starts to stick.

Pour in the wine, scrape the bottom clean, and boil 2–3 minutes until reduced by about half. Add the crushed tomatoes, the browned sausage, the bay leaf, and 240 ml (1 cup) of water (rinse out the can with it). Bring to a boil, then reduce to the lowest simmer, partially cover, and cook 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until thick. Add a splash of water if it gets too dry. Season with salt and remove the bay leaf.

About 20 minutes before the sauce is ready, bring 5 l of water to a rolling boil and salt it well (about 1 tbsp kosher salt per 2 l). Cook the rigatoni 2 minutes less than the package says. Save 240 ml of the pasta water before draining.

Add the drained rigatoni to the pot of ragù over medium heat with about 120 ml of pasta water. Toss for 1–2 minutes until the sauce tightens and coats the pasta. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan and basil; add more pasta water if it looks stiff. Serve with more cheese.