For hearty flavor and pure comfort, nothing beats scrumptious Italian sausage. There are three ways to cook Italian sausage: on the stove, in the oven, or on the grill. Each way will make the sausage crispy brown and juicy every time.
Italy’s sausage is great in a lot of great recipes, like sausage and peppers, sausage and pasta, or sausage hoagies with lots of caramelized onion. Minestrone soup with Italian sausage cut into rounds is practically a feast all on its own. And it’s all made possible by proper preparation of the sausage.
Cooking delicious Italian sausage pasta starts with properly preparing the star ingredient – the sausage. With the right techniques you can transform plain sausage into a flavorful juicy component that makes the entire dish sing.
In this comprehensive guide I’ll walk you through the key steps for cooking Italian sausage so it’s perfectly suited for pasta. Whether you’re a total beginner or an experienced home cook you’ll discover tips and tricks for maximizing texture and taste. Let’s get cooking!
Selecting the Right Sausage
Obviously, you’ll want to use high-quality Italian sausage. Here are some things to look for when shopping:
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Pork or Turkey: Both work well, so choose your preferred meat. Pork will have a richer flavor.
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Spicing: Go with sweet, mild or spicy sausage based on your taste preferences. Spicy will pack more punch.
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Form: Links or bulk sausage meat will both do. If using links, remove the casings before cooking.
I recommend browned Italian pork sausage for the best flavor, but experiment to find your favorite
Pre-Cooking the Sausage
Most pasta recipes have you brown the sausage before adding it to the sauce. Pre-cooking accomplishes a few things:
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Browning = Flavor: The Maillard reaction occurs when the sausage browns, producing tons of deep, tasty flavor compounds.
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Texture: Browning gives the sausage a nice crust, while the interior remains juicy. This contrast in texture is delicious.
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Cooks Faster: Pre-cooking partially cooks the sausage so it doesn’t require as much time in the sauce.
To brown Italian sausage:
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Use a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat.
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Cook the sausage in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan.
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Brown each side for 3-4 minutes until nicely browned.
Browned sausage tastes leagues better than sausage cooked solely in pasta sauce!
Simmering in the Sauce
After browning, the sausage gets added to the pasta sauce where it slowly simmers until tender. This accomplishes a few things:
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Infuses Sauce with Flavor: The sausage renders fat and juices into the sauce as it cooks, making the sauce rich and meaty.
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Tenderizes: The low and slow cooking tenderizes the sausage to a perfect texture.
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Blends Flavors: The extended simmering gives the sausage time to absorb flavors from the sauce.
Be sure to cook for at least 1-2 hours on low heat. This lets the magic happen!
Chopping the Sausage
Once the sausage has browned and simmered, the final step is chopping it into bite-sized pieces. Here are some tips:
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Allow the sausage to cool slightly before chopping – this prevents burning your hands!
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For pasta, I recommend a small dice about 1/4-1/2 inch in size.
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Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears for easy chopping.
Chopped sausage mixes nicely with pasta and distributes flavors throughout each bite.
Serving Suggestions
Your properly cooked Italian sausage is ready to mix with pasta! Here are some serving suggestions:
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Pastas: Penne, rigatoni, spaghetti are all excellent choices. Medium-sized pastas hold bits of sausage nicely.
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Cheese: Grated parmesan, mozzarella or ricotta add a delicious creaminess.
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Herbs: Sprinkle some chopped parsley or basil over the finished dish for freshness.
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Extras: Add sauteed vegetables like onions, peppers or mushrooms.
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What is Italian Sausage?
Seasoned ground pork is stuffed into casing shells to make Italian sausage. The links are about 6 inches long. Typically it’s made with fennel seed and red pepper flakes. That combination gives Italian sausage its distinctive flavor and character.
How to Cook Italian Sausage
Italian sausage, on the other hand, needs to be cooked to 160°F because it is made from raw ground pork, not smoked pork.
Links that are too dark on the outside and still raw in the middle can happen if you cook sausage too high, too fast, or unevenly. The skins can also split and fall apart.
Gradually bringing them up to heat, and turned for even browning will allow for perfect sausages. To avoid them curling you can skewer them lengthwise or place in a barbecue clamp.
Preparing Italian Sausage for the Spaghetti Sauce!
FAQ
Should Italian sausage be cooked before adding to sauce?
Should you boil Italian sausage before cooking?