2014 Cooking Club, week 27: Hot italian sausage in tomato sauce.

CaliforniaDream

This is a recipe I've adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe. I'll add in the original quantities in brackets in case someone wants to try the original recipe. The measurements are in US servings. I've adjusted the quantities based on my tastes.

This is delicious as a leftover too and the Italian sausage makes it a little different. It's mainly a one pot recipe so I like the hassle free aspect of it.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled. (1/2lb hot sausage and 1/2lb sweet Italian sausage.)
• Half a large red onion, chopped. (1 1/2 cups sliced red onions)
• 3 cloves of garlic. (1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic)
• 3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes.
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/3 tablespoon dried oregano. (1 tblsp chopped fresh oregano)
• 250gr dried pasta. I usually use penne or farfalle. (1 pound dry penne, ziti or mostacciol)
• Fresh ricotta added to taste. (1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta)
• 2 tblsp dried basil. (6 tblsp chopped fresh basil leaves)
• Grated Parmesan, optional.

Preparation:

• Chop your onion and garlic.
• Remove the casing from the sausage and break up in the pan.
• In a large bowl put all of the whole tomatoes and juice. Gently crush the tomatoes in the bowl.
• Add the tomato paste and oregano to the tomatoes.

Directions:

• In a large saute pan, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until the fat is rendered and the sausages start to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. You can remove some of the fat from the pan if you want but leave at least 2 tablespoons of it in.
• Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Add the fennel seeds, salt, and red pepper, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds.
• Add the tomato sauce mixture and cooked sausage and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes on a medium heat.
• Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
• Meanwhile, in a pot of salted water, cook the pasta until al dente.
• Drain and toss in the pot with the sauce.
• Stir in the basil.
• Add all the ricotta to the pan here if you want or else let people add it to taste at the table. I find the original quantity is too much but it's a little bitter without it. I usually use about 2-3 tablespoons per plate.
• Add the parmesan if you're using it.

Hope you enjoy it!

Dotcomdolly

Where can you get the Italian sausage?

Mr. CooL ICE

Well, that's tomorrow's meal sorted. Thanks OP

hattoncracker

I took out some pork burgers last night and was wondering what I was going to do with them. I think I've just found my answer. Thanks OP!

CaliforniaDream

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

Where can you get the Italian sausage?

I'm living in the states so never even thought about the availability of Italian sausage.
Can anyone shed some light on where to purchase in Ireland? Sorry, never even came into my head, I just love this dish so figured that's the recipe I'd use.

ChewChew

CaliforniaDream wrote: »

I'm living in the states

oh yea... Rub it in


Sounds and looks great!M I'll definitely have to attempt this!! Thanks op !!

CaliforniaDream

ChewChew wrote: »

oh yea... Rub it in


Sounds and looks great!M I'll definitely have to attempt this!! Thanks op !!

Please do. I'd live to get some feedback on it and see what I can improve.
Now excuse me while I go out to lie by my pool in 40 degree sunshine. Too early for a cocktail yet but I'll have one soon.
(I'm not even joking about this! )

GrahamThomas

Jane Russell makes a toasted fennel & chilli Italian sausage, they're stocked in a good few places around Dublin:
http://janerussells.ie/stockists/

homemadecider

Lawlors butcher in upper Rathmines has very delicious Italian sausage. I got some there last week.

BaZmO*

Or just add a teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds (and maybe some crushed chillis) to some cumberland sausages for that Italian feel.

There's an Italian style sausage & pasta dish that I make and that's what I do in lieu of Italian sausages.

Malari

^^This is what I did with some Mediterranean sausages and it worked out really well. I had a tomato sauce with a similar base from the Aubergine Parmegiana dish so I added some crème fraiche instead of ricotta and it was gorgeous!

Wurly

Would chorizo work in this dish?

CaliforniaDream

Wurly wrote: »

Would chorizo work in this dish?

I've never used chorizo in it. I can't imagine it being bad but in my head the smokey flavour would seem odd with the dish.
But if you try let me know.

You could also make some small meatballs and put some spice in them to raise the heat level too. Sorry it's a pain to find italian sausage.
Thanks to everyone who gave suggestions where to get them or how to make your own. Hopefully someone gets to try it!

Mr. CooL ICE

I did at the weekend. It was lovely. Replaced the pasta with oven roasted cauliflower to up the veg intake.

Found the Jane Russell sausages in Dunne's, as mentioned above.

CaliforniaDream

LordChessington wrote: »

I did at the weekend. It was lovely. Replaced the pasta with oven roasted cauliflower to up the veg intake.

Found the Jane Russell sausages in Dunne's, as mentioned above.

Glad you liked it. I might steal your cauliflower idea as it's hot here and sometimes the pasta can feel heavy. I do throw other veg in every now and then depending on how I feel or what's in the fridge. It's definitely a play-around-with recipe.
Thanks for trying it.

Huzzah!

I did this at the weekend. It was delicious. I used passata instead of tinned tomatoes and added some stock as I wasn't sure it would go far enough, so it was a wee bit salty. My own fault, though. I'll definitely be making this again. Thanks, Op.

CaliforniaDream

Huzzah! wrote: »

I did this at the weekend. It was delicious. I used passata instead of tinned tomatoes and added some stock as I wasn't sure it would go far enough, so it was a wee bit salty. My own fault, though. I'll definitely be making this again. Thanks, Op.

You're welcome. It's definitely a recipe to play around with so no harm in that sense.
I had it again myself two days ago. It's quick, tasty and filling.

The Black Oil

I've made this a few times. It's great.