Preparation

• Warm 1 Tbs. of the oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausages, and cook, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Reduce the heat to medium low, and add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Stir in the carrot, celery, and onion, and then the herbs. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Raise the heat to medium high, and pour in the wine, letting it bubble for a minute or so.
• Add the reserved sausages and tomato purée to the pot, cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Add 1/4 cup water to the pot if the sauce seems too thick. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt generously with kosher salt. Gently drop the cavatelli into the water, and stir with a serving fork or pasta fork to separate them. Bring the water back to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes; because cavatelli are dense, they take a bit longer to cook than fresh noodles.
• While the pasta is cooking, ladle about 2 cups of sauce into a warmed serving bowl. Reserve about a cup of the cooking water, and then drain the pasta. Pour the cavatelli into the serving bowl, and toss gently with the sauce, adding more sauce or a splash of cooking water as needed to thoroughly coat the pasta. Spoon additional sauce on top, and tuck in a few pieces of the sausage. Sprinkle with pecorino romano and serve.