10+ Ways to Use Italian Sausage
Made from pork shoulder, never scraps or fillers, our Italian sausage is handmade right here at the Co-op using a delicious blend of herbs and spices. It’s also super versatile and can be used in everything from pasta and soup to veggie skillets and so much more.
Read on to discover some of our favorite ways to use Italian sausage!
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Italian Sausage Soup
A 9-ingredient soup easy enough for a weeknight, this Italian sausage soup features onion, sweet potato, bell pepper, and kale. Add a splash of cream if you’re craving something, well, creamier.
Ingredients
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound sweet potato, 3/4" thick chunks
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1 bunch kale, chopped
Directions
In a large pot over medium-high heat, crumble the sausage and stir as it starts to sizzle. Add the onions. Stir and cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and stir for a few seconds, then add the sweet potato and red bell pepper. Stir, then add oregano, salt and chicken stock.
Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife.
Stir in the kale and cook for five minutes to soften the kale.
Serve hot, or cool completely before storing, tightly covered in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Hearty Beef and Sausage Lasagna
Who doesn’t love a plate of lasagna? Don’t forget the side salad and toasty Co-op bread!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 pound Italian sausage, crumbled
1/2 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
25 ounces tomato puree
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 pounds part-skim ricotta cheese
3 ounces (1 1/2 cups) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 pound lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 400⁰F. Put on a large pot of salted water to boil for cooking the noodles. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan by lightly oiling it. In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions.
Cook over medium high heat until softened and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, sausage, beef and salt, and increase the heat to high, stirring to crumble and brown the meat. When the meat is cooked, add the tomato puree, diced tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thick, about 10 minutes.
Cook enough noodles to make four layers of pasta in the pan—either 12 or 16 noodles, depending on their size. Undercook the noodles by 3 minutes; they will finish cooking when the lasagna is baked.
Meanwhile in medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese and eggs. Mix well.
Spread 1 cup sauce over the bottom of the 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange 3-4 lasagna noodles in single layer. Spread 2 cups of the ricotta cheese mixture over noodles; dollop on 1 1/2 cups of spaghetti sauce. Arrange more noodles in single layer; press lightly into sauce. Top with 2 cups ricotta mixture, and 1 1/2 cups sauce, then place remaining noodles on top, pressing to make the noodles level. Spoon the remaining 2 cups of ricotta mixture over the noodles, cover with noodles, then cover with the remaining sauce, making sure to cover all the pasta completely. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over the sauce.
Bake 45 minutes or until the cheese is browned and the sauce is bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Photo Courtesy of Co+op
Savory Stuffed Pumpkin
Delicious, healthy, and undeniably fall-out-adorable, mini pie pumpkins are stuffed with sausage, onion, stuffing mix, and apples to create a sweet and savory dish perfect for October.
Ingredients
2 small pie pumpkins
Pinch each of salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
8 ounces vegetarian or regular sausage, crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped Granny Smith apples
1 6-ounce package stuffing mix
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (optional)
1 cup vegetable broth
Directions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Use a sharp knife to remove the tops from each pumpkin (like a jacko’-lantern). Scrape out the seeds and filaments and discard. Season the inside of the pumpkins with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes or until limp. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned, then add the garlic and apples and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the onion and sausage mixture with the stuffing mix, cheese and broth and mix together until combined and slightly moistened. Divide and lightly pack the stuffing into the pumpkins until completely full. Replace the tops on the pumpkins, place them on a lined or lightly-oiled baking sheet or dish and into the oven. Depending on the size of the pumpkin and amount of flesh, the pumpkins should take about an hour to bake.
Check after 30 minutes and, when nearly cooked, remove the tops and bake until the filling is browned. The pumpkins are done when easily pierced with a knife. Use two metal spatulas to move them from the baking dish onto the serving platter, to help keep the pumpkins intact. To serve, slice pumpkins into wedges or halves.
Photo Courtesy of Spend with Pennies
Pappardelle with Italian Sausage
Utilizing both fresh and canned tomatoes, this pappardelle pasta with Italian sausage is fit for a cozy Sunday at home.
Tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion are roasted in the oven before being paired with sausage, canned tomatoes, and tomato sauce and slow cooked on the stove for an hour.
Toss well with pappardelle and some reserved pasta water before serving with a healthy topping of parmesan cheese.
Photo Courtesy of RecipeTin Eats
Italian Sausage Quiche
Italian sausage is paired with onion, eggs, a variety of herbs, and cherry tomatoes to create a savory quiche perfect for your next brunch.
Utilizing either frozen pastry premade pie crust, kick up the heat of this quiche with our hot italian sausage or chorizo.
Serve alongside your other favorite brunch staples like fresh fruit, OJ, roasted potatoes, and buttermilk pancakes.
Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Sauce
Warm and comforting, these sausage-stuffed shells are paired with a creamy fresh pumpkin sauce that practically screams fall.
While the recipe calls for pumpkin, you could sub in any winter squash you have, be it acorn, kuri, delicata, or butternut.
Serve your stuffed shells with roasted veggies or a green salad, depending on the time of year!
Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Photo Courtesy of A Couple Cooks
Garden zucchini taking over your life? Before you drop a zucchini off at all your neighbors’ porches, consider these healthy, flavorful zucchini boats!
Zucchini is halved and oven-roasted before being filled with a sausage-based stuffing and baked with a healthy topping of gooey cheese.
Serve with a sprinkle of fresh garden basil to bring it all together.
Saucy Braised Garlic Butter Meatballs with Orzo
Saucy, garlicky, buttery… it doesn’t get much better than that.
In this recipe, Italian sausage is combined with chicken sausage, Italian seasoning, parmesan, poblano pepper, and eggs to create a tender, flavorful meatball that can be made on the stovetop or in a slow cooker.
Serve the meatballs with your favorite pasta sauce and either orzo or the Co-op’s fresh pasta!
Photo Courtesy of Well Plated by Erin
Italian Sausage Skillet with Vegetables
An easy one-pan meal that requires just 20 minutes of prep, this Italian sausage skillet is filling, healthy, and can be adapted to whatever veggies you have in the fridge.
Potatoes and carrots are cooked on the stove before sausage and mushrooms are added and cooked through.
Sprinkle the dish with a topping of green onions before splitting amongst 4 plates and digging in!
More Sausage Recipes
Stuffed Acorn Squash with Sausage from Well Plated by Erin
Italian Sausage Meatballs from Marcellina in Cucina
Sausage Bread from The Spruce Eats
Sausage & Butternut Squash Pasta with Creamy Goat Cheese from Platings and Pairings