Jamie Oliver's ‘simple sausage pasta' makes a speedy midweek family dinner – it's packed with hidden veggies & serves 6

The Sun

16-07-2025

PASTA is a firm favourite for millions of families, perfect when finances are stretched.
But for inspiration to take you beyond the usual spag bol or lasagne, check out this delicious recipe by the one and only Jamie Oliver.
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The celebrity chef, 50, regularly arms us with scrumptious meals that don't take ages to prepare and call for a handful of ingredients which don't cost a fortune.
His simple sausage pasta is one of them - ready in under an hour, this hearty dish is packed with hidden veggies and serves six.
''Sausage pasta is a firm favourite in the Oliver household,'' the dad-of-five said on his website.
''I've got this easy recipe for a quick sausage ragù, where we stretch the meat further by squeezing the sausagemeat out of the skins, and bump it up with River's favourite, chickpeas.''
For the recipe, you will need:
four pork sausages or veggie sausages,
four sprigs of rosemary or two teaspoons fennel seeds,
two cloves of garlic,
olive oil,
320g fresh or frozen chopped mixed onion, carrot and celery,
400g tin of chickpeas,
two x 400g tins of quality plum tomatoes,
450g pasta shells,
optional: Parmesan cheese, for grating.
Method
Place a large shallow casserole pan on a medium-high heat.
Once hot, squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins into the pan and break it up with a wooden spoon.
Sit regularly and dry until the meat becomes lightly golden, stirring regularly.
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If you're using veggie sausages for the recipe, roughly slice and fry in one tablespoon of olive oil until golden and crispy.
When the sausage meat is nice and crispy, roughly chop the rosemary leaves and finely slice the peeled garlic.
Drizzle one tablespoon of oil into the pan, then add the chopped mixed vegetables, rosemary and garlic for a flavour bomb.
Season to taste, then combine everything with a masher and cook for an extra ten minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ingredients have softened.
Jamie Oliver's career history
1999 - Jamie Oliver's first television series, The Naked Chef, premiered on BBC Two. It quickly gained popularity and lead to his first cookbook.
2000 - The Naked Chef won a BAFTA Award.
2002 - He launched the Fifteen restaurant in London, providing opportunities for disadvantaged young people to train as chefs.
2005 - Began the Jamie's School Dinners campaign to improve the quality of school meals in the UK, leading to significant changes in government policy.
2008 - He received the TED Prize for his efforts to improve unhealthy diets and food practices.
2015 - Campaigned for a tax on sugary drinks, which was then introduced in the UK in 2018.
2023 - Announced plans for new restaurant ventures and still works on campaigns for better food education and sustainability practices.
Pour in the chickpeas for an extra protein kick and scrunch in the tomatoes along with one tin filled with water, mashing everything up until fine.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a medium-low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. By then, everything should become thick and delicious, and it's time to give it all a mash with a potato masher.
When the sauce has around 12 minutes remaining, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water and drain - but don't forget to reserve a mugful of the cooking water full of starch to make the dish thicker.
When the pasta is ready, toss the carb goodness into the sauce, adding splashes of the water to loosen the dish if needed.
Grate over Parmesan to your liking and drizzle with a little olive oil, if you like, and voila, a hearty pasta dish in less than an hour.
According to the foodie, this creamy sauce is also a great one to keep in the fridge or freezer for busy weeknights.