Recipe using Sweet Italian Sausage??

[Kelly]

OK - I'm stumped. I was in the grocery store today & bought sweet Italian sausage - not sure why - I haven't bought anything like that in at least 2 years! Anyway, I had visions of some soup made with spinach, sausage, and crushed tomatoes (maybe?). Does anyone know what recipe I was thinking of? Does anyone have a good recipe to use the sausage? I can't bring myself to serve it as is; just the thought of it is making my stomach turn....

[jjf]

i seem to recall reading a recipe from this month's issue that calls for sweet italian sausage. i don't have a lot of time right now, but i will try to look later and post the recipe. sorry i couldn't be more help.

jen

[Vanessa]

I usually remove casing and crumble it cooking it and adding it to tomato sauce for pasta. Although Italian sausage is great on the grill too.

Pasta Bolognese

Also delicious with fresh pasta—substitute 1-1/2 lb. fresh pasta for 1 lb. dried, and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes.
2 teaspoon olive oil
4 ounce turkey sausage, hot or sweet, casings removed (in this case your the sausage you bought)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, small, finely chopped
3 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
28 ounce canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, rinsed and chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup 1% lowfat milk
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1 pound pasta, such as tagliatelle or fettuccine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up clumps with a spoon, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in wine and increase heat to high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and roasted red peppers; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes. Add chicken broth and return to a simmer.

3. In a small bowl, whisk milk and flour; stir into simmering sauce. Cook, stirring, until sauce has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Keep sauce warm. (The sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.)

4. Cook pasta until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large warmed bowl. Toss with sauce. Serve, passing Parmesan separately.












[This message has been edited by Vanessa (edited 10-08-2000).]

[Connie]

Kelly,
There was a recipe in the May 2000 issue of Bon Appetit for lentils with sausage and swiss chard that uses the sweet Italian turkey sausage. I was planning on making it for dinner tonight, but it was a long day so we ordered out for pizza. Anyway, it sounds interesting to me. Is that something you would be interested in seeing?

[mah]

there was a recipe in the march 2000 issue for sausage and fennel calzones. they are great...

[Karen from VA]

I may get booted off this board for posting such a non-cooking light recipe, but this, using sweet (or hot) Italian sausage is such a good one, I just have to share. It is a dish served at Landini Brothers in Old Town Alexandria, VA and was requested in the RSVP section of Bon Appetit. It has since become one of the most commented upon recipes in Epicurious. I've eaten it at Landini's several times, made it many times, and have had a request for the recipe everytime I serve it. It is easy and wonderful, but it requires a six-mile walk to burn off the calories:


* Exported from MasterCook *

Penne in Cream Sauce with Sausage

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) diced peeled tomatoes w/juice
1 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 pound penne pasta
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Add sausage and saute until golden brown and cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 7 minutes. Drain any excess drippings from skillet.

Add wine to skillet and boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and simmer 3 minutes. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in 4 tablespoons parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta; transfer to large bowl. Bring sauce to simmer. Pour sauce over pasta. Add 3/4 cup cheese and toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons parsley.

6 servings

It's even better warmed up the next day.

[JillC]

Dracula's revenge, a pasta dish from the October issue, called for sweet Italian turkey sausage.
Jill

[Ohioan]

Kelly, there are some very good recipes on the Fortuna's Sausage web site: www.soupy.com (http://www.soupy.com)

They also have an excellent sausage cookbook available -- as well as excellent sausages, both fresh and dried.

Cheers and happy eating,
Phoebe

[Gail]

Really, I second Vanessa's suggestions and Karen's recipe sounds terrific. Sometimes I think it's fun to get an assortment of different sausages and put them on the grill. I use both hot and sweet Italian sausages in spaghetii sauce. I also like to make up a batch of ratatouille, add some crumbled sausage (if I have hot, I use that, but I've used the sweet, too) roll it up in a crepe and melt Jack cheese on top. Yummy. Use it on pizza or in calzones. Make lasagne. I'm sure there are a million pasta recipes in which it would work just fine.

Personally, the only difference I really perceive between the hot and sweet sausages I buy is simply the amount of spice, so I use them pretty interchangeably.

[MrsReber]

I just got two pounds of sweet Italian sausage last weekend- buy one get one free, couldn't go wrong. I want to make sausage and peppers. Very quick and easy and nice for a change. It's good served on roll or by itself with a salad.

[Kathy]

These all look great! Must be something in the air that is making us buy sausage! Karen, I saw that recipe also..just copied it this morning! I wish Cooking Light would lighten that sucker up! I could figure it out, but they are the pros!