Tag: italian sausage

Soups and Stews

Creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

cathysmahaLeave a comment

This 30 minute, one pot soup is easy and delicious. I love a recipe that comes together so easily and delivers the flavor!

Creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

INGREDIENTS:
  • 15 oz spicy Italian sausage crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbs from Provence
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves)
  • red pepper flakes to taste (if sausage is spicy, you may want to skip the pepper flakes)
  • 1 cup orzo uncooked
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 10 oz butternut squash peeled and cubed
  • 5 oz fresh spinach
  • ½ cup heavy cream (I used half and half)
  • ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese shaved, shredded, or grated (for garnish)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Add crumbled Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, a generous amount of fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves), and red pepper flakes to a large saucepan. Cook on medium heat, regularly stirring to break the sausage.
  2. Once the sausage released juices and is half cooked, add 1 cup of uncooked orzo and minced garlic, and cook, constantly stirring, for about 2 minutes on medium heat to brown the orzo.
  3. Add 5 cups of chicken stock and cubed butternut squash, stir everything well, cover with the lid, bring to a boil, reduce to visible simmer, and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes until the orzo and butternut squash is cooked.
  4. Add spinach to the soup, cover with the lid and let it wilt on low heat, occasionally stirring.
  5. Once the spinach has wilted, remove the soup from the heat and add heavy cream. Stir everything and season with salt and pepper. Add more chicken stock (or water) if the soup is too dense. Add more red pepper flakes, if you like. Top with Parmesan cheese (shaved, shredded, or grated) and fresh thyme.

Recipe from JuliasAlbum

Italian Dishes

Italian Sausage Stuffed Summer Squash

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Last year I had many yellow squash in my garden. While I like roasting vegetables or making lemon yellow squash bread, I needed a new recipe. This recipe is so delicious! I doubled the recipe and the leftovers were just as good as when it was first served. The photo makes it look like I burned the squash, but I did not and it was perfect. You can bake for a lesser time as well. I also experimented with delicata squash and found the rind was too tough. You could easily substitute zucchini for the yellow squash.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Summer Squash

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 squash halves
  • 1 diced onion
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 2 links of Italian sausage hot or sweet
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • ½ C parmesan cheese
  • ½ C shredding cheese Mexican mix or low monster mozzarella
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • garnish with fresh basil or fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS:
  1. tart by cooking the sausage in a nonstick frying pan. Sauté on medium heat until they are lightly browned about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the frying pan and place on a paper towel lined plate.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350.
  3. Sauté the finely chopped onions, crushed garlic and diced bell pepper in the drippings from the sausage. Cook until the onions are translucent and the peppers have softened about 5 to 6 minutes.
  4. Next, add the oregano, cumin, and red pepper flakes to the pan and mix thoroughly with the onions and peppers. Sauté for two minutes to bring out the flavors of the spices.
  5. Place the sausage, peppers and onions mixture into a medium size bowl. Mix in the breadcrumbs, shredded cheese, parmesan cheese and egg and set the mixture aside.
  6. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper for easier cleanup.
  7. Cut the squash down the middle lengthwise. Using a spoon to scoop out the seedy interior of the squash and discard. Place the squash cut side up on the cookie sheet.
  8. Scoop the sausage mixture in to the wells of the squash.
  9. Bake for approximately 40 to 60 minutes. It depends on the size of the squash.
  10. Notes
  11. You want to use both a Parmesan cheese and some kind of shredded cheese. I usually have both a nice brick of Parmesan Reggiano and the cheap crumbled cheese in the refrigerator. For this recipe I find that the crumbled pram works just fine to add that salty nutty flavor, so I save the nice parm for other dishes.
  12. I have used both shredded low moisture mozzarella and cheddar Colby Jack (“Mexican cheese mix”) shredded cheese. They’re both good and I actually like them Mexican cheese mix the best, but don’t be afraid to experiment and just use what’s in your house.

Recipe from Balancing Bowls

Italian Dishes · Vegetables

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Spaghetti Squash abounds in my garden and I needed new recipes and this one is a winner. Daughter, Sarah, told me about this recipe and it was a must try. The recipe is sooo good and flavorful. For mushroom haters, you could easily leave those out. The garlic herb cheese really adds a new dimension to the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage
  • 8 oz. sliced raw mushrooms
  • 38 oz. jar Rao Marinara sauce (or sauce of choice)
  • 1 cup fresh spinach (or more to your liking)
  • 5.2 oz. Garlic herb cheese (or garlic herb goat cheese)
  • 8 oz. shredded mozzarella
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the spaghetti squash in half and remove seeds. Roast the spaghetti squash flesh side down on a baking sheet with parchment paper for 45-60 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Once the squash is done baking, use a fork to remove the spaghetti-like threads.
  2. Brown Italian Sausage. When the sausage is almost cooked through, add mushrooms. Once sausage and mushrooms are cooked through, drain and remove to a paper towel on a plate to absorb the extra fat.
  3. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. Grease a 9×14″ pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of marinara sauce. Top with half of the spaghetti squash, half of the sausage/mushroom mixture, then a layer of fresh spinach leaves. Dallop with garlic herb cheese. Repeat a layer of spaghetti squash, marinara sauce, sausage/mushroom and top with more marinara sauce. Top all with a layer of Mozzarella cheese.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
  6. Note: I used about 3/4 of the Marina sauce in the recipe and used the reserved sauce when reheating leftovers.

Recipe from Sarah’s good friend, Megan

Pastas

Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage is the perfect comfort meal for a cold, wintery day. It packs so much flavor with the creamy goodness of the Orzo. Often, I tire of leftovers, but not this Orzo dish. Just writing about it makes me want to run to the kitchen and make it again.

Creamy Butternut Squash Orzo with Sausage

INGREDIENTS:
  • 12 oz Italian sausage casings removed (I used 3 sausage links)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup butternut squash puree
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 10 oz orzo uncooked
  • 2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
  • salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Remove the sausage from casings, and slice the sausage. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat in a large, high-sided skillet.
  2. Add sliced sausage and cook on medium heat for about 4 minutes on one side, without turning, to get the sausage slices browned. Flip over to the other side and cook for 2 more minutes.
  3. Make creamy butternut squash sauce: To the same skillet with sausage, add heavy cream, chicken stock, butternut squash puree, 1 T. sage, and minced garlic.
  4. Bring the sauce to a boil on medium heat, reduce to low-medium heat, stir everything well. Cook for about 5 or more minutes. Make sure the garlic is cooked to your liking, and the sauce thickens. Cook longer if you would like a thicker sauce. Remove from heat.
  5. While the sauce cooks for 5 or more minutes, cook the orzo as described below.
  6. Cook orzo: Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook orzo according to package instructions. In my case, I cooked orzo al dente for 7 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Remove from heat. Drain but do not rinse.
  7. Assembly: Add cooked orzo to the skillet with creamy butternut squash and sausage. Stir in half of the fresh sage and half of the fresh thyme.
  8. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  9. Season with salt and freshly ground coarse black pepper.
  10. Tip: use your best judgment about the salt. If the sausage is salty enough, you might not need to add any extra salt.
  11. When serving, top with the remaining half of the fresh sage and the remaining half of the fresh thyme.

Recipe from Julia’s Album

Italian Dishes · Pastas · Sauces

Sauage Ragu

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Sausage Ragu is a family favorite. We made this recipe for the first trip during the COVID lockdown when we took Zoom cooking classes with Chef Lucas of Italy. When we are hungry for pasta, this our go-to recipe. The red wine colors the sausage a darker color but the taste of this sauce is heavenly. The left-overs are just as good and we now double or triple the recipe so we can freeze sauce for an emergency Ragu night.

Sausage Ragu

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 12 oz. Italian sausage (remove casings)
  • 1/2 cup of tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 cup mascarpone
  • 1 1/2 cups red wine
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
  • 1 pinch of chili peppers
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lb. pasta of choice, cooked per directions
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a large frying pan, brown garlic, chili peppers, rosemary and sausage in the olive oil.
  2. After the meat is cooked and brown, add the wine and reduce to half. (Note from Cathy: I like to remove some of the drippings and oil at this point, then adding the wine).
  3. Add the tomate paste and the stock. Let it cook for ten minutes on low heat.
  4. Turn the heat off and combine with the mascarpone, then toss with the pasta.

Recipe from Chef Lucas cookbook ‘Cooking with Lucas’

Kitchen · Pastas

Sausage Brussel Sprouts Parmesan Pasta

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Later in life I discovered Brussel Sprouts were actually delicious when prepared properly. This pasta recipe sounded delicious and it didn’t disappoint. Iowa Girl Eats has another winner!

Sausage Brussel Sprouts Parmesan Pasta

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1/2 lb. spaghetti (gluten free of not
  • 8oz. sweet Italian sausage
  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil + a few drizzles
  • 9 oz. shredded brussels sprouts
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (or more or less)
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large, 12” skillet over heat that’s just a touch above medium. Add sausage then brown, breaking it up as it cooks but taking care not to break the sausage up into too small of crumbles. Scoop sausage onto a plate then set aside.
  2. Drop pasta into salted, boiling water then cook until it’s just under al dente – pasta will continue to cook a little bit in the skillet later. DO NOT DRAIN PASTA WATER when pasta is done cooking.
  3. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in the skillet then add brussels sprouts and red chili pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, then saute until the brussels sprout are tender, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 1 more minute or until very fragrant.
  4. Using tongs, transfer spaghetti from pot to skillet then add parmesan cheese and cooked sausage. Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and enough pasta cooking water to help the parmesan cheese melt and evenly coat the pasta. Taste then season with salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper, and then serve.

Recipe from IowaGirlEats

Italian Dishes · Soups and Stews

Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup

cathysmaha1 Comment

I live for soup season and enjoy trying many different recipes. This Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup sounded like the comfort food I needed. It was very good but next time I will blend all of the squash to make the base even silkier.

Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 pound ground Italian Sausage, (I use Hot Italian Sausage in casings)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1-inch cubes
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 can (15.5 ounces) great northern beans, well rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Heavy cream, for garnish, optional
  • Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
  • Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a dutch oven or stockpot set over medium heat. Add onions and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in sausage and cook for 10 minutes, or until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage into crumbles as it cooks.
  • Add garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage mixture from the pot and set aside.
  • Melt remaining butter in the pot set over medium heat; add squash to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Then stir in chicken broth; add bay leaf, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and continue to simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until butternut squash is tender. Start checking around the 10-minute mark. Note: The larger the chunks of butternut squash, the longer it will take for them to soften.
  • Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Remove couple handfuls of butternut squash chunks from the soup and set aside (next time I would blend all of the squash). Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. You can also blend the soup in a blender. Return soup back to the stockpot.
  • Return the butternut squash chunks back to the pot. Set stockpot over medium heat. To the soup, add beans, tomatoes, and previously prepared sausage mixture; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through.
  • Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly. Drizzle with cream. Garnish with parsley. Serve.

Recipe from Eastweeknightrecipes

Breakfast · New Favorite

Italian Spaghetti Squash Egg Cups

cathysmahaLeave a comment

What do you do when you have a lot of leftover spaghetti squash and Italian sausage? You invent a recipe for egg cups. Through the years, I’ve made many types of egg cups, but spaghetti squash is a new one.  Frankly, I didn’t expect them to be very good, but they were delicious!  I made them and refrigerated them, heating them up in the microwave the next day.  I’ll definitely be making this again, and again.  

ITALIAN SPAGHETTI SQUASH EGG CUPS

5 eggs, beaten
3-4 cups cooked spaghetti squash
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup cooked Italian Sausage, crumbled
1/4 shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
Extra shredded cheese to sprinkle on top of the egg cups before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased muffin tins (they tend to stick so grease generously). Sprinkle extra shredded cheese on top of each cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Makes about 16 egg cups.