Italian Sausage & Cherry Tomato Spaghetti | Market Basket Series Week 4

This recipe is part of our Market Basket Series — Week 4: Italian Comfort. Read the Week 4 post for the full shopping list, chicken allocation strategy, and all five dinners. Note that this recipe intentionally makes extra sauce — 1½ cups are reserved for the pasta bake on Night 4. A rich, deeply flavoured spaghetti sauce built on Italian sausage and whole peeled tomatoes — weeknight simple, and strategic enough to fuel two dinners. About This Recipe Italian sausage is one of the most efficient ingredients in the kitchen — it seasons the sauce as it cooks, releasing fennel, garlic, and spice into the oil without any additional effort. Combined with whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand and a long, slow simmer, it produces a sauce with real depth and body. This recipe makes enough for tonight’s spaghetti and 1½ cups reserved for the Chicken Ricotta Pasta Bake on Night 4 — a small act of planning that makes the rest of the week significantly easier. Ingredients 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (28 oz), crushed by hand 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 lb spaghetti Fresh basil leaves, torn, to serve Parmesan, freshly grated, to serve Salt and black pepper to taste Instructions Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, for 6–8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate, leaving the flavoured oil in the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the same skillet and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes and oregano. Return sausage to the pan. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Add drained spaghetti to the sauce. Toss well over medium heat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta. Before serving: transfer 1½ cups of sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate — this is reserved for the Chicken Ricotta Pasta Bake on Night 4. Serve remaining spaghetti topped with torn fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan. Recipe Details Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 (plus 1½ cups sauce reserved for Night 4) Difficulty: Easy Dietary Info: Dairy-Free (without Parmesan) Tips & Variations Italian sausage is a powerhouse ingredient — it seasons the sauce as it cooks, eliminating the need for a long list of spices Do not skip reserving the pasta water — the starch helps the sauce emulsify and coat the spaghetti beautifully Mild sausage is typically less expensive than hot — buy whichever is on sale and adjust chilli flakes to taste Crushing the tomatoes by hand rather than using pre-crushed gives you more control over texture — some chunks are welcome Use rigatoni or penne instead of spaghetti if preferred — both hold the chunky sauce well Add a handful of baby spinach to the sauce in the last 2 minutes for extra greens Swap sausage for ground beef or pork for a classic Bolognese-style sauce Leftover sauce (beyond the Night 4 reserve) freezes well for up to 3 months

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