Mastering the Art of Cooking Italian Sausage in Sauce: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you want to make an Italian sausage in a rich tomato sauce, this recipe is for you. Sunday Sauce has never tasted so good!

I’ve been making this recipe since I was a little girl. As a child, my mother and Italian grandmother taught me how to make it every Sunday, and I’m so happy to share it with you now.

Cooking Italian sausage in sauce is a wonderful way to infuse flavor and moisture into the sausage while creating a delicious, hearty sauce. When done right the sausage becomes incredibly tender and juicy absorbing all the deliciousness from the sauce. The sauce in turn gets a boost of savoriness from the Italian sausage. It’s a win-win culinary technique that opens up so many possibilities for creative and tasty meals.

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through everything you need to know to cook mouthwatering Italian sausage in sauce From choosing the right sausage, prepping and browning, simmering in the sauce, and complementing flavors, we’ve got you covered with pro tips and step-by-step instructions With a little practice, you’ll be able to whip up restaurant-worthy Italian sausage dishes to impress family and friends. So let’s get cooking!

Choosing the Right Italian Sausage

The first step is selecting quality Italian sausages. Here are some tips:

Opt for sausages with a high meat content and natural casings. This ensures juicy, flavorful results.
Choose between sweet or spicy Italian sausage depending on your preference. Sweet has fennel seed; spicy has red pepper flakes.
Seek out local Italian markets or butcher shops for the freshest, highest quality sausages.
Italian chicken or turkey sausages are great lighter alternatives without compromising on taste.
For convenience, pre-cooked Italian sausage works too. Just reduce cooking time.

No matter which you choose, quality is key for the best outcome.

Preparing the Sausages for Cooking

Before cooking the sausages, we need to prep them:

If using links, gently pierce the casings with a fork several times. This prevents them from bursting open when cooked.
For bulk sausage, divide and shape into patties or small meatballs for even cooking.
If thawed from frozen, pat the sausages dry with paper towels. Extra moisture causes splattering when cooking.
For extra flavor, you can rub the dry sausages with Italian herbs or let marinate briefly in olive oil, garlic, and pepper flakes.

With these easy prep steps, the sausages will be grill or skillet ready for beautifully caramelized, flavorful browning.

Browning the Sausages First is Key

Here is a pro chef tip: always brown Italian sausages before simmering them in sauce. Why? Browning builds a flavorful sear and creates texture contrast in the finished dish. Follow these instructions:

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil.
Once hot, add the sausages without overcrowding the pan. Brown the sausages on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
Lower heat if the fond (browned bits) start to burn. We want caramelization, not charring.
Cook until the sausages are lightly browned on the exterior with a touch of firmness left inside.
Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside.

Beautifully browned sausages ready for the next step!

Build Flavor in the Sauce

With the sausages browned, it’s time to build an incredible sauce. Follow these tips:

If needed, add a touch more olive oil to the same pan you browned the sausages in.
Add aromatic vegetables like onions, garlic, carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, or tomato paste to form the sauce’s base.
Pour in a splash of red or white wine to lift the flavors.
Stir in Italian herb seasoning, dried basil, oregano, fennel seed, parsley.
Let the sauce simmer for 5-10 minutes so the flavors meld together.
Taste and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar to balance acidity.

The sauce should taste vibrant, fresh and full of Italian flavor before adding the sausage.

Simmer the Sausage in the Sauce

Now comes the fun part – nestling the browned sausages into the simmering sauce:

Return the sausages and any accumulated juices into the sauce.
Spoon sauce over the sausages until fully coated. This helps prevent curling.
Partially cover and let simmer on medium low, adjusting heat to maintain a gentle bubble.
Cook, turning sausages occasionally, for 15-30 minutes until cooked through.
For extra tender results, simmer for up to 1 hour, adding water as needed to prevent scorching.

The sausage will become fork tender and permeated with the sauce’s delicious flavors.

Sauce Tips for Sausage Perfection

For a smoother sauce, break up the sausage into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon as it simmers.
Add cream or milk for a silky, creamy sauce.
Toss in vegetables like mushrooms, peppers or spinach during the last 10 minutes of simmering.
For extra richness, swirl in a pat of butter or sprinkle of Parmesan before serving.

Feel free to get creative with produce, cheeses and herbs to complement the sausage.

Serving Suggestions for Your Sausage Sauce

Italian sausage shines when served:

Over pasta like penne, rigatoni or fettuccini. Toss with grated Parmesan.
Baked into lasagna, cannelloni shells or manicotti for a meaty kick.
Piled high on crusty rolls for sausage subs and sandwiches. Add peppers, onions and cheese.
Spooned over pizza dough and baked for a deliciously hearty flatbread.
Stirred into hearty bean or vegetable soups and stews.
Wrapped in flaky puff pastry with sautéed veggies for easy hand pies.

With so many possibilities, you’ll want to cook up batches of this versatile sausage sauce weekly!

Mastering the Technique

Cooking Italian sausage in sauce is an easy yet extremely rewarding technique. By keeping these tips in mind, you’ll be able to achieve sausages that are perfectly tender and juicy every time:

Carefully brown the sausages first. Don’t rush this step!
Build layered flavor in the sauce before adding the sausage.
Gently nestle the sausages into the sauce. Spoon sauce over the top.
Simmer partially covered on low heat until sausage is fork tender.
Feel free to simmer longer for ultra tender results – 1-3 hours.
Add cream, milk or butter to create a luscious finish.
Season assertively and adjust to taste.

With a little practice, you’ll be able to execute this technique like a confident home cook. The result? Hearty, soul-warming dishes that you’ll be proud to serve. So grab some Italian sausages and tomato sauce and start simmering a pot of magic. Buon appetito!

how to cook italian sausage in sauce
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Sunday Sauce {Sunday Gravy}

Italian Americans everywhere have a family Sunday sauce (also known as Sunday gravy). It’s a meal that cooks all day and brings the family together for a delicious weekend meal.

When I say this is a staple in my house I really mean it. We have this sauce for Sunday dinner once every few weeks when I make a big pot of it.

Then I divide it into portions, some with sausage and some without, and freeze it so we can have quick meals during the week.

For Perfect Spaghetti and Sausage

Cook Slow and Low. The longer the sauce cooks, the better it tastes.
Don’t forget to stir! Your sauce shouldn’t stick to the bottom of the pot, so stir it every half hour or so.
While the sauce is cooking, add 1/2 cup of water at a time if it seems too thick. Keep doing this until the sauce is the consistency you want.
If you like your sauce really thick, you can make it thicker by adding a few tablespoons of tomato paste.
One teaspoon of sugar at a time can be added to the sauce to make it less acidic.
You can add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar at a time and taste each time to cut the sweetness of the sauce if it tastes too sweet.
Add meatballs for a traditional Sunday Sauce.
This recipe can also be made in a slow cooker. Prepare everything on the stove until it starts to simmer, then put it all in the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for up to 8 hours.

Preparing Italian Sausage for the Spaghetti Sauce!

FAQ

Should I cook sausage before putting in sauce?

By browning the sausages first and then cooking them in the sauce at a long, slow simmer, the sausage is loaded with flavor and firm, but tender–almost meatball-like in texture.

Can you cook sausages in a sauce pan?

And it’s never let us down. Here’s how to do it. To start, drop your sausages into a large pot or saucepan and fill it with enough cold water to just cover the sausages. Put the vessel on the stove, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook just until the water reaches a gentle simmer—that should take about 6-8 minutes.