Italian Sausage Recipes Ina Garten

ORECCHIETTE WITH BROCCOLI RABE & SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prick the sausages with a fork and place them on a sheet pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until just cooked through. Slice 1/2 inch thick and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sausage slices and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pieces are browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the red wine, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and let the mixture simmer over low heat while you prepare the pasta and broccoli.
• Bring a very large pot half filled with water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 9 minutes exactly. While the pasta is cooking, trim the broccoli rabe to just below the leaves and discard the stems. Cut the leafy part of the broccoli rabe crosswise in 2-inch pieces. When the pasta has cooked for 9 minutes, add the broccoli rabe to the pasta and continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is crisp-tender. Drain in a large colander, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and add the pasta and broccoli to the pot with the tomato and sausage mixture. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon of salt. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking liquid. Taste for seasonings, and serve hot with extra Parmesan on the side.

SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM STRUDELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• If either of the sausage meats is coarsely ground, place the meat in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and pulse until the meat is finely ground.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan, add the onion, and cook for 4 to 6 minutes over medium heat, until tender but not browned. Add all the sausage meat and mash with a fork, breaking it up and browning it, for 5 to 7 minutes, until no longer pink.
• Meanwhile, prep the mushrooms. Without washing the mushrooms, wipe the caps with a slightly damp paper towel or sponge to remove any dirt. Trim the stems, then roughly chop the caps and stems. Add the mushrooms, fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to the sausage and cook for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid and the liquid evaporates. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and the fresh bread crumbs and season to taste. The seasoning will depend on how highly seasoned the sausage meat is.
• Melt the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Unfold the phyllo dough and keep it covered with a slightly damp (not wet!) kitchen towel. Transfer one sheet of phyllo to a board, brush it lightly with melted butter, and sprinkle with a teaspoon of dry bread crumbs.
• Place a second sheet of phyllo directly on top, brush with butter, and sprinkle with dry bread crumbs; repeat until you have 5 sheets piled up.
• With the long edge of the stack of phyllo facing you, make a 1-inch strip of sausage filling (about 1/3 of the filling) near the bottom edge. Fold up the sides and roll the phyllo firmly up and over, rolling the log away from you. Transfer the log, seam side down, to the prepared sheet pan. Brush with butter and score diagonally at 1-inch intervals. Make two more strudel logs and place them on the sheet pan.
• Bake the strudels for 20 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan once to cook evenly, until browned. Cool slightly, cut in pieces through the scored lines, and serve warm.

SAUSAGE AND HERB STUFFING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Place the bread cubes in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the bread cubes to a very large bowl.
• Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, melt the butter and add the onions, celery, apples, parsley, salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add to the bread cubes.
• In the same saute pan, cook the sausage over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage with a fork while cooking. Add to the bread cubes and vegetables.
• Add the chicken stock and cranberries to the mixture, mix well, and pour into a 9 by 12-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, until browned on top and hot in the middle. Serve warm.

ROASTED SAUSAGES AND GRAPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Parboil the sausages in water to cover for 8 minutes to rid them of excess fat.
• Melt the butter in a large heatproof roasting pan, add the grapes, and toss to coat. Over moderately high heat add the wine. Stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by half.
• Using tongs, transfer the parboiled sausages to the roasting pan and push them down in the grapes so the sausages will not brown too quickly. Roast in the oven, turning the sausages once, until the grapes are soft and the sausages have browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over a medium-high heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the roasting pan, and allow the vinegar and juices to reduce until they are thick and syrupy. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausages and grapes to a serving platter.
• Pour the sauce over the sausages and grapes and serve immediately, accompanied with fresh bread.

HOMEMADE SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE (MILD OR HOT)

Steps:

• Place the pork and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, paprika, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, brown sugar, oregano, and thyme. Knead until flecks of spice are evenly distributed through the sausage.
• Divide the sausage into thirds, and form into 3 logs; wrap each in plastic wrap. Place wrapped sausage into a freezer bag before freezing, or store in refrigerator for at least 12 hours before cooking.

OUR FAVORITE LASAGNA WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH, AND THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Preparation:
• Position the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°F.
• Make the sauce:
• In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the sausage, onion and 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic, red-pepper flakes, and tomato paste; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes (along with their juice) and oregano; bring to a simmer, and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon until in small pieces, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more red-pepper flakes if desired.
• Make the filling:
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine all of the filling ingredients and process until mostly smooth.
• Assemble the lasagna:
• Squeeze the spinach in a paper towel or clean dishcloth until very dry. Transfer to a bowl and season with a pinch of salt.
• Coat baking dish with cooking spray and spread the bottom with 2 cups sauce. Top with a layer of three noodles, then a third of the ricotta mixture (about 1 1/3 cups), and a third of the spinach (about 2/3 cup). Sprinkle with 1 cup grated mozzarella.
• Repeat twice more, skipping the mozzarella on the third layer. Top the lasagna with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups mozzarella in clusters so some of the sauce peeks through.
• Place the baking pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly spray a piece of foil with cooking spray, cover the lasagna, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until lightly browned and bubbly, about 20 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.
• DO AHEAD: The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. The filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA'S ROASTED SAUSAGES AND GRAPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the sausages, and simmer for 8 minutes to remove some of the fat. Remove to a plate.
• Melt the butter in a large 12x15 roasting pan on top of the stove.
• Add the grapes and toss them to coat with butter.
• Transfer the sausages to the roasting pan with tongs, nestling them down in the grapes in one layer.
• Place in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning the sausages once, until they're browned and the grapes are tender.
• Transfer the sausages and grapes to a serving platter with tongs and a slotted spoon and cover to keep them hot. Add the balsamic vinegar to the roasting pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes to reduce the balsamic vinegar slightly.
• Pour over the sausages and grapes and serve hot.