Tag Archives: sausage

Pizza

Crispy-Crust Pizza with Sausage and Ricotta

I had an excess of fresh ricotta and some spicy Italian sausage in the refrigerator this week and decided to build two meals around these ingredients: the pizza here, and a fabulous spaetzle. If your ricotta is runny and wet, set it in a strainer over a bowl to drain off water for a few hours in the refrigerator before using, or the pizza will be soggy once baked.

When making pizza, allow overnight rising for the dough to develop good flavor. Don’t rush the process and you will be rewarded with a memorable pizza with truly artisanal taste. I find baking the pizza on parchment directly on a hot baking stone is much easier than sliding pizza off a pizza peel onto a baking stone, and the difference in the crispness of the crust is not discernible.

To learn more about making pizza from scratch, join me in our upcoming pizza workshop on September 6 at noon.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer

For the dough:

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cups room-temperature water, plus extra as needed
  • extra-virgin olive oil for greasing the bowl

For the topping:

  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup canned chopped Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 pound fresh whole-milk Ricotta
  • 1/4 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed, finely crumbled
  • 6 basil leaves, cut into fine strips

Make the dough: Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. With the motor running, add enough room-temperature water (about 3/4 cups) to make a soft dough that rides the blade. Process for 45 seconds. Add a little water if the dough is dry or a little flour if it is sticky. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky; if you add too much flour, or not enough water, the pizza will be dense and heavy.

Lightly oil a bowl, place the dough in it, shape into a ball, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate overnight. When you are ready to shape the dough, return the dough to room temperature before cutting it and shaping it.

About 1 and 1/2 hours before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven with a baking stone on the bottom rack to 550 degrees (if your oven only goes to 500 degrees, that is fine too). The baking stone needs to get VERY hot for at least 1 hour before you bake your first pizza on it.

Cut the dough into 2 pieces. Shape into 2 balls on a lightly floured counter. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes (this allows the gluten to relax, making stretching easier). Using your hands, shape into 12-inch circles; the edges should be slightly higher than the center.

Top the pizza: Place 1 dough circle on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Place the parchment paper on an upturned baking sheet. Rub with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Top with 1/4 cup of the tomatoes and spread gently with the back of a spoon. Season with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt.

Top with half of the ricotta and then finally with half of the sausage; be sure the sausage is in tiny pieces as it needs to cook through in just a few minutes in the oven.

Use the upturned baking sheet to transfer the pizza (still on its parchment paper) to the baking stone in the oven. (In other words, use the upturned baking sheet almost like a pizza peel, to slide the parchment paper and pizza into the oven quickly).

Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until the crust is crisp and browned around the edges and the sausage is cooked. Top with half of the basil. Continue in the same manner with the remaining ingredients and serve each pizza as it emerges from the oven.

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Fresh Pasta

Rosemary Spaetzle with Ricotta and Sausage

Spaetzle are tiny egg gnocchi made across Europe, especially Hungary, Austria, and Germany. They are typical of Trentino-Alto Adige, a region in Italy’s northwest that was under Austro-Hungarian rule. I often make spaetzle when I am short on time and still want a fresh pasta. They are easy to make, as long as you have a spaetzle machine (more on that later): just whisk an egg and some milk into flour, beat until smooth, and pour through the spaetzle machine into gently boiling water. When the spaetzle bob to the surface, they are ready to scoop up and toss with whatever you like: olive oil and grated Parmigiano; crushed poppy seeds and Ricotta Salata; melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon for a sweet treat; the herb-infused juices from a roast veal or chicken; or the savory sausage sauce below. One thing I do not suggest with spaetzle is a heavy tomato-based sauce, which would overwhelm the delicate flavor of the gnocchi itself. Spaetzle are also an excellent accompaniment to hearty stews and roasted meats.

There are many Spaetzle machines on the market, and some work better than others. Some people like to use a spaetzle press, which looks like a potato ricer. Other people opt for the machine that has a sliding box set atop what looks like a box grater; I prefer this model. Mine is all stainless steel and, as long as I wash it before the batter dries on it, takes just minutes to clean. I toss the machine into a sinkful of warm, soapy water while the spaetzle cook, then wash it easily afterwards.

When making spaetzle to serve with sweet embellishments, omit the pepper and rosemary in the batter, and add a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg instead.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer

For the spaetzle:

  • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon 2% or whole milk

For the sauce and to serve:

  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
  • ½ pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
  • Salt as needed
  • Freshly ground black pepper as needed
  • ¼ pound fresh whole-milk Ricotta

Make the spaetzle: Place the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and rosemary in a bowl. Mix well with a whisk. Make a well in the center and add the egg to the well. Start whisking the egg into the flour while you pour in the milk little by little. The aim is to have a perfectly smooth batter, so whisk vigorously when all the milk has been added. Whisking thoroughly also activates the gluten, making the spaetzle lighter when cooked. If not using right away, cover and set aside for up to 12 hours in the refrigerator; return to room temperature before cooking.

Make the sauce: Place the olive oil, garlic, fennel seeds, and chili flakes if using in a 12-inch skillet. Set over medium heat and cook until just aromatic, about 2 minutes. Watch that the garlic does not burn. Add the crumbled sausage and cook, stirring often to break it up into small pieces, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat until you are ready to serve; the sauce can be made to this point up to 2 hours ahead.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add the remaining tablespoon of salt and, using a spaetzle machine, drop the spaetzle into the boiling water. Cook until the spaetzle bob to the surface, about 1 minute, then drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

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Spoon the spaetzle into the sausage in the skillet. Add the reserved cooking water and sauté over high heat 1 minute, or until the flavors have melded.

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Taste for seasoning and adjust, adding salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot, scattering dollops of Ricotta over the spaetzle here and there so you can combine the Ricotta with the spaetzle as you eat.

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Main Course: Meat

Escarole and Sausage over Crispy Bread with Melted Cheese

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This is a delicious, one-dish meal that my husband and I crave when the weather is cold and our energy is dragging.  Try broccoli raab instead of escarole, or simply omit the sausage for a vegetarian version. But whatever you do, buy really good bread, because the bread’s texture and taste unify all the ingredients into a beguiling whole. We buy flat Turkish bread from the Taskin bakery in New Jersey when we don’t have our own leftover focaccia.

A word on Kashkaval: this is a semi-soft sheep’s milk cheese typical of Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. I grew up enjoying it thanks to my Romanian-born mother. It is available in most well-stocked cheese shops, and ranges from milky and just  a tad sharp when aged a few months, to salty and almost crumbly when aged longer. For this dish, select the younger Kashkaval, as it will melt better and won’t overwhelm the other flavors. If Kashkaval is not available, use a good quality imported Fontina from Val d’Aosta, or another mild melting cheese of your liking.

Serves 2

For the sausage and escarole:

  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1  teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1/2 pound  spicy Italian sausages with fennel seeds, casings removed and crumbled
  • 1 pound (1 large bunch) escarole leaves, washed thoroughly and chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the bread:

  • 4 cups cubed Italian focaccia or other neutral flatbread
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 pound fresh Mozzarella (preferably bufala), drained and torn into bite-size pieces
  • 2 ounces young Kashkaval or Fontina from Val d’Aosta, rind removed if needed and coarsely grated

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Make the sausage and escarole: Place the olive oil, fennel seeds, garlic, and chili  in a wide pan that has a tight-fitting lid. Warm gently over medium heat until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Add the crumbled sausage and cook 10 minutes,  stirring often, or until the sausage is nicely browned all over. Add the escarole, season with the salt and pepper, and cover.

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Cook 10 minutes, stirring once in a while, or until the escarole softens and collapses and releases its liquid; the liquid is essential to this dish, so keep the lid on. Remove from the heat until you are ready to serve.

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Make the bread: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (preferably set on convection). On a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the cubed bread with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Toast in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until the bread just begins to take on a golden color and starts to get a bit crunchy here and there; do not toast it all the way through, or the dish will be dry,  as the bread has to bake a second time with the cheese.

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Scatter the Mozzarella and Kashkaval on top of the toasted bread.

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Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the bread finishes toasting and browning, and the cheeses melt.

To serve: Reheat the sausage and escarole. Spoon one-quarter of the hot bread and cheese mixture onto each of 2 plates. Top each with one-quarter of the hot escarole and sausage mixture, then another layer of the bread and cheese mixture, and finally the remaining escarole and sausage mixture. Pour any pan juices from the escarole and sausage over the finished plates and serve hot.

Fresh Pasta

Garganelli with Red Wine and Two-Meat Ragu

This simple, savory ragu combines my favorite elements of a classic Bolognese ragu (the milk and red wine) with my favorite elements of a southern Italian-style ragu (the spicy sausage and garlic).

If you have a rind from a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano on hand, throw it into the ragu pot to lend additional richness, then remove it before tossing with the pasta.

See our recipe for handmade garganelli

Serves 4

For the sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, minced  (1/4 cup)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 12 basil leaves or 2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
  • ¾ pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
  • ¾ pound ground beef chuck
  • 1 cup dry red wine
  • 2 cups chopped canned Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
  • 1 cup whole or 2% milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Rind from Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano (optional)

For the pasta and to serve:

  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 1 pound garganelli (see recipe below)
  • ¼ pound freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano

Make the ragù: Place the olive oil, onion, garlic, and basil in a 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the sausage and beef, and cook until browned all over, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Be sure to let the meat develop a deep brown color at this stage, or the ragu will taste flabby instead of rich.

Add the wine and then, after 5 minutes, the broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. If you have a cheese rind, add it at this point and make sure it is fully submerged in the liquid.

Cover and cook over medium-low heat 1 and ½ hours, making sure the sauce never scorches and adding a bit of water as needed to the pan. Discard the bay leaf and the cheese rind. Adjust the seasoning and keep the sauce warm. (The sauce can be made up to this point 2 days in advance; refrigerate until needed, then warm gently before proceeding.)

Make the pasta: Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil. Add the salt and the pasta, and  cook until al dente; drain, reserving 2 cups of the pasta cooking water.

Add the pasta to the sauce and sauté over high heat for 1 minute. Stir in the Parmigiano, and add some of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed to thin out the sauce. Adjust the seasoning and serve hot.