Pork, beef & lamb· DF

Sausage Arrabbiata

Name: Sausage Arrabbiata
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 400g pork sausage meat; 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes; 120g onion; 100g spinach; 25g (6 cloves) garlic; 15ml balsamic vinegar; 2g paprika; 2g chilli flakes; 1g dried thyme; pinch salt; 5ml rapeseed oil

Punchy tomato and chilli sauce with crumbled pork sausage and spinach.

makes 16 blocks, about 28p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/recipes/sausage-arrabbiata/

Illustration of a bowl of Sausage Arrabbiata

Time: 1 hr10 min prep · 50 min cook
Makes: 16 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 28p
Calories per blockCalories: 81 kcal
Spice: 3 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

blocks

400gpork sausage meat
2 × 400g tinschopped tomatoes
120gonion
100gspinach
25g (6 cloves)garlic
15mlbalsamic vinegar
2gpaprika
2gchilli flakes
1gdried thyme
pinchsalt
5mlrapeseed oil

Allergens: Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Serve it

Penne or rigatoni with parmesan · Gnocchi under grilled mozzarella · Toasted sourdough with a fried egg

Method

Step 1: Fry the sausage meat in the oil over a medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes, breaking it into small crumbs, until golden and crisp at the edges. Tip off most of the fat.
Step 2: Add the onion for 5 minutes, then the garlic, paprika, chilli and thyme for 1 minute.
Step 3: Add the balsamic and let it bubble off, then the tomatoes.
Step 4: Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until rich and reduced by about a quarter.
Step 5: Stir in the spinach for 1 minute. Season, cool and freeze in blocks of about 68–70g.

Hotter: double the chilli flakes and add a chopped fresh red chilli.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	81	4.1g	5.1g	5g	0.6g	0.49g
Per 3 blocks	243	12.3g	15.3g	15g	1.8g	1.47g

Cook’s notes

No sausage meat? Squeeze the filling from 6 pork sausages; 90%+ meat sausages taste best.
Spicy Italian-style sausages or a pinch of fennel seed make it taste more Italian.
Arrabbiata means "angry": go generous with the chilli flakes if you like heat.

Serve it

Penne or rigatoni with parmesan · Gnocchi under grilled mozzarella · Toasted sourdough with a fried egg.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 243 kcal and 12.3g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Sausage Arrabbiata questions

Why tip off most of the fat?

Sausage meat releases a fair amount of fat as it crisps. Pouring most of it away stops the sauce turning greasy, and the little left behind is enough to soften the onion.

Can I swap the spinach for another green?

Kale or cavolo nero work if you shred them finely and give them 4 or 5 minutes instead of 1. Frozen spinach is fine too; squeeze out the water first.

Can I use chicken or turkey sausages?

Yes, though they are leaner, so they won't crisp as much or release much fat. Add a little extra oil when frying and skip tipping off the fat.