Is there any meat with more oomph than Italian sausage? (Hint: no.) Regular sausage is already great; add a burst of basil, oregano, and—especially—fennel seeds, and you’ve got got an immortal ingredient. A few crumbles of Italian sausage transform a pizza; a few slices turn mac’n'cheese into a show-off pasta dish. Grilled Italian sausage makes a great change from the usual burgers, too.

Whether it’s sweet or hot, Italian sausage is generally cooked before being added to a recipe. Don’t skimp on the cooking time! A bit of browned crust adds immensely to this meat’s appeal. And if you save the fat from the skillet, you’ll have a great medium for sautéing onions, peppers, and other vegetables—even a zesty batch of scrambled eggs.

The following recipes feature Italian sausage in a variety of styles. You’ll have to try them all before we let you pick a favorite.

Nothing’s as good as a burger—unless it’s an Italian sausage burger (pictured above)! Layering the burgers with spinach and sun-dried tomato pesto elevates them to “restaurant-quality” status.

Sausage-Pepper Calzones

A favorite take-out, calzones are incredibly easy to make at home, especially when you use purchased pizza dough.

 Italian Sausage Market Meatloaf

It’s always a pleasure to find a really different meatloaf. This one stars ground Italian sausage and a provolone center that deserves its own photo shoot.

 Baked Ziti with Tomato, Mozzarella, and Sausage

Gotta have a ziti-with-sausage recipe, right? Browned and bubbling, this old favorite features pecorino, mozzarella, and ricotta cheeses.

Supreme Pizza Fondue

The “fondue” is actually a sausage-laden tomato sauce; the dippers are ravioli. Fun for a family!

Warm Pasta Salad with Italian Turkey Sausage

Here’s a main-dish pasta salad that can be served year-round. Turkey sausage makes a healthy change; the fun shape of wagon-wheel pasta appeals to the kids.

 Mediterranean White Bean Soup with Sausage

White bean soup with sausage and kale: a favorite that’s high in both flavor and fiber. Though the beans and kale are the main ingredients, the sausage pulls everything together. If you can, make this soup ahead of time for maximum flavor.

***delicious pork recipes***

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Categories: Dinner Tonight | Tags: Italian Cuisine, Italian Sausage, Pasta, Pizza, Pork
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