main dishes sardinian

Malloreddus with Mushrooms and Sausage

Malloreddus in a slow-simmered ragu of crumbled sausage, ground veal, and porcini mushrooms with tomato paste and white wine.

Carnivore Nut-Free
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Prep 15 min
Cook 1h 15m
Total 1h 30m
Servings 6
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

Pasta

Ragu

Finish

Seasoning

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Instructions

  1. Warm the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes.

  2. Add the crumbled sausage to one side of the pan and the ground veal to the other. Keep them separate and brown each without stirring too much.

    Tip: Keeping the meats apart lets them sear properly instead of steaming. Break them up with a spoon but do not stir them into each other yet.

  3. Deglaze with the white wine. Let it bubble and reduce until the pan smells more of cooked meat than alcohol, about 2-3 minutes.

  4. Add the chopped porcini mushrooms to the pan, reserving a few clean halves for garnish. Stir everything together now.

  5. Dilute the tomato paste in the broth and pour it into the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well, cover, and simmer on low heat for 50 minutes. Check occasionally and add a splash of water if the ragu looks too dry.

    Tip: The covered simmer is what turns this into a proper ragu. Do not skip it or rush it.

  6. While the ragu simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the malloreddus until al dente according to package directions.

  7. Drain the malloreddus and add them directly to the ragu. Toss over low heat for a minute so the pasta absorbs the sauce.

  8. Serve topped with the reserved porcini halves and chopped parsley.

Storage & Meal Prep

The ragu improves overnight. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cook fresh malloreddus when you reheat.

Variations

  • All Sausage: Skip the veal and use 400g of sausage instead. The sauce will be richer and faster to come together.
  • Mixed Mushrooms: If porcini are hard to find, use half porcini and half cremini or button mushrooms. The texture changes but the ragu still works.

FAQ

Why keep the sausage and veal separate in the pan?

The original recipe specifies keeping them apart so they brown individually rather than stewing together. It makes a difference in texture—you get distinct bits of each meat instead of a uniform paste.

Can I use dried porcini instead of fresh?

Yes. Soak 40g of dried porcini in warm water for 20 minutes, then add the soaking liquid to the broth. The flavor is more concentrated, which works well here.

Do I need to cover the ragu while it simmers?

Yes. The 50-minute covered simmer is what turns the meat and mushrooms into a proper ragu rather than just browned meat in a pan. Check occasionally and add a splash of water if it gets too dry.

Interactive Nutrition Map

6 Servings

Customize Ingredients

Meat & Poultry
Italian Sausage
100 g
Vegetables
White Mushrooms
400 g
Tomato Paste
16 g
Onion (Yellow/White)
110 g
Garlic
3 g
Grains & Bread
Dried Pasta (Small)
500 g
Oils & Fats
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
27 g
Herbs & Spices
Fresh Parsley
4 g
Salt
3 g
Black Pepper
0.5 g
Liquids
Dry White Wine
60 g
Vegetable Broth
180 g

Per Serving

442kcalCalories
16gProtein
68gCarbs
11gFat
4gFiber
Sodium
253mg11% DV
Potassium
516mg11% DV
Calcium
32mg2% DV
Iron
1.8mg10% DV
Magnesium
57mg14% DV
Vitamin C
3.7mg4% DV
Vitamin A
47µg5% DV
Vitamin K
3.7µg3% DV
Folate
31µg8% DV
Dried Pasta (Small)
Italian Sausage
White Mushrooms
Dry White Wine
Vegetable Broth
Tomato Paste
Onion (Yellow/White)
Garlic
Fresh Parsley
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Black Pepper
* Nutrition is an estimate; actual values vary by ingredient brands and cooking methods. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Story Behind This Dish

This is not a quick weeknight pasta. The ragu needs almost an hour of covered simmering, which is the point. That time turns the veal, sausage, and porcini into something cohesive and deep rather than just browned meat with mushrooms on pasta.

The technique of keeping the two meats separate while browning is worth the extra minute. It sounds fussy but it matters. Sear them together and they steam; keep them apart and each one develops its own crust before they merge in the wine and broth.

I make this when I have porcini and want something that fills the kitchen for an afternoon. It sits in the same Sardinian pasta family as the faster sausage and saffron version and the tomato-saffron base, but the mushroom and veal ragu puts it in a different weight class. Use homemade malloreddus if you have the time, or the fregula istuvada method if you want to bake the whole thing.

Part of: The Sardinian Kitchen

Related: Malloreddus alla Campidanese | Malloreddus with Tomato and Saffron | Homemade Malloreddus | Fregula Istuvada