Spaghetti with meat sauce and Italian sausage: a rich and hearty recipe

Many will describe this as a classic American-Italian dish. It’s roots are found in classic simple Italian dishes; specifically pasta. After WWII, meat was expensive in Italy and most Italians mixed beans or lentils with pasta to create a classic spaghetti bowl.

However, Italian immigrants arriving in the US found that meat prices were much lower. They quickly started creating large meatballs, adding them to their pasta with Italian sausage. A new dish was formed. It’s since evolved and there are numerous variants just waiting to be tried. 

What makes spaghetti with meat sauce and Italian sausage special?

There’s no doubting that spaghetti meat sauce with Italian sausage is special. It’s the simplicity of the dish, combined with the use of different meats. Mixing beef and Italian sausage creates a rich, complex sauce. It’s full of flavour and is surprisingly comforting. However, the real secret is how both the tomato and onion add flavour while keeping the dish simple and quick to make. You can even use organic spaghetti, tomato, and onion to maximize flavour and minimize health risks for you and the environment.

The difference between classic ragù and sausage-based sauces

Although these two dishes can seem similar, the ingredients and cooking methods make a big difference. The classic ragu sauce uses beef, pork, and even game meats, combined with tomatoes, herbs, and a little onion. These dishes tend to take time to cook: helping to ensure all the flavours merge and create a distinctive rich and complex dish. In contrast, Italian spaghetti meat sauce with Italian sausage is much quicker to cook. The sausage is generally ground, reducing cooking time . These sauces also contain onions and tomatoes. However, they are also known for their more complex flavours as red wine is often added to the recipe. 

Why Italian sausage adds depth of flavour

Italian sausages contain pork, fennel seeds, spices, and even red pepper flakes. This creates the famous depth of flavour. It’s difficult to identify one specific tone as the mixture of spices and garlic create a savoury, but slightly sweet finish.  You’ll also find the fat content of the sausage renders while you’re cooking them. This can help ensure the sausage and meat stays juicy. It effectively enhances the other flavours in the vicinity. 

The best cheese and toppings for your dish

As with most Italian dishes, when you’re serving spaghetti meat sauce with Italian sausage, you need to sprinkle a little cheese on top as a garnish. The right cheese can enhance the flavour We recommend you use parmesan. It’s a hard strong cheese. It will also melt into the food, adding a hint of salt.  Alternatively, Pecorino Romano can be used. It’s salter than parmesan and has a sharper taste. It’s perfect with richer sauces, such as American meat and Italian sausage.  It’s also worth considering mozzarella. It’s soft and creamy, making it the perfect choice for your sausage and meat spaghetti.  Ricotta is another soft cheese which works. It’s light and creamy, helping to balance out excessively rich flavours. That’s why cheese toppings are so important, they help to balance the richness in your dish.