What's That I Smell?

We're having insulation sprayed into our attic today, to see if we can cut down on the ridiculous amount of money we spend on heating oil each winter.  It's kind of stinky, and though it dissipates quickly, as long as it's being sprayed in...it's kind of stinky.  I needed something to compete with the smell, and voila!  A ragu. 

We had about half a pound of bulk Italian Sausage (from Maple Grove Farm in Putnam Station, NY--highly recommend their products!) left over from breakfast sandwiches this weekend, and I have a fair amount of tomatoes frozen from last summer, so this was born.  It's pretty standard; no surprises, just tasty. 

I really love that 1/2-3/4 of a pound of sausage is going to give us four meals: two lunches and two dinners.  I'll use half of the sauce on pasta one night, and the other half mixed with ricotta cheese in calzones one night.  Mmm...already dreaming of the leftovers.

Sausage Ragu
by Me
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2-3/4  lb bulk Italian sausage
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 large onion, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried basil, or 1 tbsp chopped fresh
1/2 tsp dried marjoram (can also use fresh, but it's strong so maybe start with 1 tsp and go from there?)
1 small hot red chili, minced (can sub in 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or omit)
2 cups tomato puree/crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste

1.  Heat olive oil in medium saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, cook, using spoon to break up into small pieces.  When almost cooked through, scoot it over in the pan and add carrots through chili.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened. 

2.  Add tomatoes, stir through, bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook until desired thickness.  I cooked mine down for about 30-45 minutes.  Add parsley.

3.  Taste, and add salt to your preference.  Cook about five more minutes.