Recipe Corner
  

Try out these great recipes with
DiRusso's Real Italian Sausage 

 
NEW!
ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP
Brenda's quickie soup the grandchildren love

     1 pound DiRusso's Mini Meatballs
    
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
     1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
     1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
     1 cup water
     1/3 cup small pasta shells, uncooked
     Grated Parmesan Cheese

Combine meatballs, vegetables, broth, tomatoes, water and pasta in a large soup pot; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer 8 to 10 minutes until pasta is tender.  Sprinkle each serving with grated cheese.  Serves 4.

NEW!
STUFFED MUSHROOMS

A great appetizer!

     1/2 pound DiRusso's Italian Sausage Patties or Links
    
1/4 cup oil
     1 1/4 cups onion, finely chopped
     2 tablespoons green pepper, finely chopped
     1 pound fresh mushrooms
     1 teaspoon salt
     1/4 teaspoon black pepper
     1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese
     2 tablespoons butter, melted
     1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
     Fresh Parsley

Clean mushrooms with damp paper towel; remove the stems and chop them finely.  Brush mushroom caps with oil and place in buttered baking dish.  Remove casing from sausage links.  In a large skillet, cook the sausage in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring with a wooden spoon to crumble sausage into pieces.  Add the onion, green pepper, mushroom stems, salt and pepper.  Cook until the onions and green peppers are tender.  Turn off the heat and stir the cream cheese into the mixture.  Fill the mushroom caps with the sausage mixture.  In a small bowl, mix the butter and the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the stuffed mushroom caps.  Bake in preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are brown.  Sprinkle on fresh parsley.  Serves 8.

 

STUFFED CUBINELLE PEPPERS WITH SAUSAGE
Men love these--

1 pound loaf of slightly stale bread
1 pound DiRusso's Real Italian Sausage Links or Patties 
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup minced Italian parsley
Vegetable or olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
18-20 cubinelle peppers

Cut the tops off peppers and take out the seeds and membranes. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Add garlic and lightly sauté. Remove garlic and reserve. Remove casings from sausage links. Add sausage to frying pan and cook over medium heat, stirring and mashing sausage with a wooden spoon until sausage bits are cooked. Cube bread and grate it in a food processor. Combine bread crumbs, garlic, sausage, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Stir in oil until bread mixture in moist. Add egg and mix. Stuff peppers and rub outsides of peppers with oil. Place in roasting pan. Drizzle small amount of oil over peppers.
   Cover pan with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350° for 1 hour. Remove foil last 15 minutes. Serves 10-12.
   Note: If desired, ladle 2 cups of marinara sauce over peppers before baking.



MACARONI AND BEAN SOUP
Grandma DiRusso's Pasta E Fagioli with Sausage Zuppa--

1 pound Ditalini or Elbow macaroni
2 pounds DiRusso's Real Italian Sausage Patties or Links
2 (16 oz.) cans of Great Northern Beans
   or 4 cups cooked dried beans, cooked
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
6 cups water
½ teaspoon dried basil
1/4 cup fresh parsley, leaves only, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Remove casings from sausage links. In large soup pot, over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add sausage and brown, stirring and mashing with a wooden spoon to crumble sausage into small pieces. Transfer sausage to a bowl and reserve. To soup pot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and sauté onions, celery and garlic. Add tomatoes, water, basil, parsley, sausage, salt and pepper. Bring to boil, lower heat, partly cover pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Add beans and simmer for 15 minutes.
   Cook macaroni according to package directions. Add drained macaroni to soup pot and stir. Serve immediately in soup plates and a generous sprinkling of the cheese. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired. Serves 8.



ITALIAN SAUSAGE BREAD STUFFING
This recipe of Grandma DiRusso's makes enough to stuff a 18-20 pound turkey--

1 1/2 pounds DiRusso's Real Italian Sausage Links or Patties
6 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1½ cups chopped onion
3 cups chopped celery with leaves
20 cups slightly stale Italian bread, cubed
Handful of fresh parsley, leaves only
½ teaspoon each of thyme, marjoram, and ground sage
or 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
2 - 21/2 cups turkey broth
6 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup Romano cheese

Remove casings from sausage links. In a slightly oiled large skillet, add sausage and cook, stirring and mashing with a wooden spoon to crumble sausage into small pieces. Transfer sausage to a bowl and reserve. To skillet, add oil; heat. Add onion and celery and sauté over medium heat.
   Place cubed bread in a large bowl. Mix in parsley, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Moisten with lukewarm turkey broth. (Make turkey broth with the turkey neck and giblets). Add sausage, celery, onions and eggs. Mix together. Add bread crumbs if stuffing is too moist.
   Note: Ingredients may be prepared earlier, but keep moist and dry ingredients separate. Combine just before stuffing turkey.
 


EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA AND SAUSAGE
This special casserole of Grandma DiRusso's is substantial enough to serve as an entree--

2 medium eggplants
1 pound DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links or Patties
1 cup flour
2 eggs
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
4 cups Marinara Sauce
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Peel eggplants. Cut into 1/4 inch slices. Layer eggplant slices on a flat platter. Sprinkle each layer lightly with salt. Place a flat dish on top of the sliced eggplants and let drain for 1 hour to get the bitterness out of them.
   In a skillet, cook the sausage links; remove and cut into ½ inch pieces. For sausage patties, stir and mash with a wooden spoon to crumble sausage into small pieces. Place flour in flat dish and mix in salt and pepper. In a bowl, beat eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. Heat 1/4" of oil in a frying pan. Dredge the eggplant slices in the flour and then into the beaten eggs. Fry in hot oil until medium brown on both sides.
   In a baking dish, spread a layer of the marinara sauce, then a layer of eggplant, then pieces of sausage, and sprinkle with some of the Parmesan cheese and some of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat, finishing with the tomato sauce. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Serves 8.
  
 Marinara Sauce:

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried basil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups water

In a saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, water and spices. Stir well, bring to boil, and then simmer for 45 minutes.

 

BEEF SOUP WITH MEATBALLS
A favorite of children–

3 pounds beef soup meat
6 quarts water
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup crushed tomatoes or 3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
8 parsley sprigs, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups DiRusso's Mini Meatballs (Fully Cooked)
1 cup Rosmarino macaroni or pastina
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Place the meat in a large soup pot. Add the water, bring to a boil, and simmer for
11/2 hours. Skim grease off the top and add the onions, celery, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. When the beef soup meat is fully cooked, remove and cut into small pieces and then return to pot. Add the cooked mini meatballs and simmer for about 20 minutes.
   Cook macaroni according to package directions. Add the macaroni to the soup and simmer a few minutes more. Sprinkle cheese on top. Serves 8-10.



LINGUINE WITH ZUCCHINI AND SAUSAGE
From Northern Italy–

6 tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil
6 links DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup minced onion
1 stalk celery, minced
1 small carrot, minced
1/4 cup dry vermouth
2 pounds zucchini (3-4), cut lengthwise, then sliced across
   into 1/4 inch pieces
Salt and pepper
2 cups Half and Half cream
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon tarragon
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 sprigs minced parsley

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan. Add sausage and cook until no longer pink inside. Remove and slice links into ½ inch pieces. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the juices in the frying pan. Add onion, celery and carrot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are beginning to soften. Stir in the vermouth and cook until it evaporates. Transfer vegetables to a bowl with the sausage. Add remaining oil to the frying pan. Add zucchini pieces and cook, covered, turning occasionally, until they are barely tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the sausage and vegetables to the frying pan with the zucchini. Stir in cream, tarragon and basil and mix. Simmer without a cover over very low heat until heated through.
   Cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente. Drain and turn into a deep serving dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and spoon sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with the parsley. Serves 8.
   Note: DiRusso's Turkey Italian Sausage Links can be substituted in place of the pork links.



RICE AND SAUSAGE
Deliciouso--

½ pound DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links or Patties
6 tablespoons butter
1 medium-size onion, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1½ cups raw long-grain rice
4 cups beef bouillon or water, hot
Salt and pepper
½ teaspoon dried sage
½ cup cream (optional)
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese

Remove sausage link casings. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan. Add sausage and onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring sausage with a wooden spoon to crumble sausage into small bits. Stir in the wine and bring to the boiling point. Stir in rice and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, or until rice is opaque. Stir in bouillon or water and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste; stir in the sage. Simmer covered over low heat for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender but still firm. Stir frequently. If necessary, add a little more water.
   This dish should be moist and a little soupy. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the cream, and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, with plenty of Parmesan cheese. Serves 4-6.



SAUSAGE WITH TORTELLINI SOUP
Cooler evenings call for a hearty and flavorful soup–

1 pound DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links or Patties
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 quarts chicken or beef broth
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 cup dry red wine
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or dried basil
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 (19 oz.) pkg. frozen cheese tortellini
½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Remove casing from sausage links. Heat oil in a soup pot. Add sausage, stirring and mashing with a wooden spoon to crumble sausage into small pieces. Add onion and garlic and sauté. Stir in broth, tomatoes, red wine, carrots, celery, basil and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes. Add zucchini; simmer for 10 minutes.
   Cook tortellini according to package directions. Add to soup pot; simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with grated cheese. Serves 6-8.



SAUSAGE BRUNCH CASSEROLE
Excellent for lunch or brunch–

1 pound DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links or Patties
½ cup chopped green onions
1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems, drained
2 medium ripe tomatoes, diced (skins removed)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Bisquick pancake mix
12 eggs
1 cup milk
½ teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Remove casings form sausage links. In a frying pan, add sausage and stir and mash with a wooden spoon to crumble sausage into small pieces. In a greased
3 quart baking dish, layer the sausage, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese.
In a large bowl, whisk the pancake mix, eggs, milk, oregano, salt and pepper; pour over cheese.
   Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until top is set and lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes. Serves 6-8.



MOTHER DIRUSSO'S MEAT SAUCE
A family recipe--

1 1/2 pounds DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links
1 1/2 pounds DiRusso's Meatballs (Fully cooked)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
6 sprigs fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups cold water
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Cut sausage links in halves. In a large sauce pan, heat oil. Add sausage links and brown on all sides. Remove sausage and reserve. Add garlic and onion to sauce pan and sauté. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and seasonings. Stir well and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add sausage and meatballs. Cook over low heat for approximately 1 hour. Makes enough sauce for 1½ pounds of spaghetti.



SAUSAGE, POTATO, AND PEPPER ROAST
A one-dish meal–

2 pounds DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links
6 potatoes, quartered
4 green peppers, sliced into strips
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375° Cut sausage links into halves and place in a large roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, turning once. In a bowl, add potatoes, peppers, salt and pepper to taste, and oil. Mix together. Add to sausage and roast for approximately 1 hour more, turning several times with spatula. Serves 6-8.
   Note: DiRusso's Turkey Italian Sausage Links can be substituted.



ITALIAN SAUSAGE FRITTATA
The Italian equivalent of an omelet--

½ pound DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links or Patties
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 ozs fresh sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Few sprigs fresh parsley, minced
1 medium ripe tomato, chopped
6-8 eggs
1 tablespoon milk or water
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove casings from sausage links. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12 inch frying pan. Add the sausage and over medium heat stir and mash with a wooden spoon to crumble the sausage. Add the onions, mushrooms and butter and cook until onion is soft. Add the basil, parsley and tomato. Cook for about 3 minutes. Beat the milk into the eggs, stir in the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Add the remaining oil to the frying pan. Pour eggs over the sausage and vegetables and stir with a fork to distribute. Cook over low heat until the bottom is golden brown and well set, lifting the edges with a fork to allow the uncooked egg on top to trickle into the pan. Put a plate slightly larger than the frying pan over the frittata. Hold the plate down with one hand. With the other hand hold the frying pan handle and turn the frying pan and plate upside down, so that the frittata, cooked side up, will be on the plate. Slide it, uncooked side down, back into the frying pan and cook until golden brown and set. Then slide it onto a serving plate, cut into wedges, and serve hot or cold as a first or main course.



ITALIAN GREENS AND BEANS WITH SAUSAGE
Just like Mom used to make–

1 pound DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links or Patties
2 large bunches escarole
Blended olive/vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and black pepper
Crushed red pepper
1 (16 oz.) can Great Northern Beans

Clean escarole in cold water, breaking each leaf into several pieces by hand. Place in colander to drain. Cook escarole in large kettle of boiling water until done. Drain into colander; squeeze out excess water and chop escarole into small pieces.
   Remove casings from sausage links. In large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add sausage, stirring and mashing sausage with a wooden spoon into small pieces. Add onion and garlic and lightly sauté. Remove and reserve. Heat approximately 1/4 cup of oil in the frying pan. Add a thin layer of escarole in the pan. Season escarole to taste with salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook and stir constantly for about a minute. Move escarole to one side of pan. Heat another 1/4 cup of oil and repeat above steps until all the escarole is cooked. Remove and reserve with sausage and onion. Heat 1/4 cup of oil in frying pan; add Great Northern beans, season to taste, and cook over medium high heat until heated through. Return escarole, sausage, and onion to frying pan. Stir together all ingredients and simmer for several minutes.
   Note: If desired, about a ½ cup marinara sauce can be added when returning escarole to frying pan.



GRANDMA'S ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
Your family and guests will ask for seconds–

1 whole frying chicken (approx. 3 ½ lbs.)
5 cups DiRusso's Mini-Meatballs (Fully Cooked)
14 quarts cold water
1/3 cup onions, minced
½ cup carrots, minced
4 cups celery, chopped
1 bunch escarole, cooked and chopped
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons salt
5 cups cooked pastina (very tiny macaroni)
Grated Romano cheese

In a large soup pot, bring water to boil. Add chicken and bring water to boil again. Cook, partially covered, for 1½ hours. Skim while cooking with metal spoon. Remove chicken and reserve. Strain broth. Add meatballs, onions, carrots, celery, escarole, black pepper and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add cooked pastina and approximately 4 cups of  chicken, chopped into 1 inch pieces. Serve with grated Romano cheese.



ITALIAN STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH
When cooked, the inner strands of this healthful squash take on the texture of spaghetti--

     ½ pound DiRusso's Italian Sausage Links or Patties
     1 (6 inch long) spaghetti squash
     1 tablespoon oil
     1/2 cup finely chopped onion
     1/4 cup finely chopped pepper
     1/4 cup finely chopped celery
     1 clove garlic, minced
     1/2 cup canned tomatoes
     1/2 cup diced mushrooms
     1/3 cup cooked rice
     1 teaspoon oregano
     Salt and pepper to taste
     1 T. chopped fresh parsley
     1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
    
Halve the squash lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down on baking pan with 1/2 inch of water. Bake 350° for 55 minutes or until tender.
   In frying pan,
sauté onion, pepper, celery and garlic in oil. Remove and reserve. Remove casings from sausage links. Add sausage to pan, mashing with wooden spoon until sausage is cooked.
   Stir in tomatoes, mushrooms, rice, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and
sautéed vegetables. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
   When squash is ready, using a fork, pull out the flesh of the squash (it will form spaghetti-like strands). Mix with pan mixture and stuff squash with filling. Sprinkle tops with cheese and bake until cheese melts.