Summer entertaining should be relaxed and easy going. It’s okay to have elaborate menus for some festivities, but sometimes you just want to keep it simple. Recently, Al Fresco (the all-natural chicken sausage people) asked me if they could send me some FREE coupons to try out their sausage for a dinner party. I thought it sounded fun so I gave them the thumbs up.

At the store, I chose their fresh Sweet Italian Sausage because I thought it would be great grilled and served with a platter of grilled veggies (orange and red peppers, zucchini, onions, mushrooms, asparagus drizzled with a little olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper). I was right…the grilled sausage and veggies were a party pleaser! Yum! Bruschetta with a tomato-basil topping rounds out the meal, and a Blueberry-Lemon Cornmeal Cake makes a delicious, summery finale.  

Since there’s no artificial ingredients, MSG or funky preservatives in Al Fresco’s Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage,you can feel good about eating it and feeding it to your guests. 

I found Al Fresco sausage at my local Fred Meyer store (in a few other flavors, too), but you can click here to see where to find it in your area. Check out their website for recipes and info on their company.

Tags: Al Fresco, Al Fresco sausage, chicken sausage, grilled sausage, grilling, italian sausage, sausage, summer entertaining

Since Thanksgiving is next week, it’s time to get your Turkey Day game plan in order. This recipe for Italian Sausage, Mushroom and Sage Stuffing is fantastic! Loaded with savory and earthy ingredients, it may just upstage the turkey!

For the bread, I used some homemade rustic bread that I’d baked earlier in the week. The hearty bread was a perfect foundation for the stuffing. I also substituted a little dry sherry (about 1/4 cup) and used a little less stock than the recipe called for. The result? A pan of delicious, moist stuffing that’s loaded with tasty ingredients — perfect for your holiday table! Enjoy!   

Italian Sausage, Mushroom and Sage Stuffing
-recipe from The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan

Some are just “ho-hum, nothing-special” stuffings, but not this one. The sausage is key here. Where I live, several local butcher shops make their own savory and richly flavored link sausages and those are what I buy. Look in your area for artisan sausage makers.

Once the sausages have cooked, I sauté the mushrooms in some of the flavorful fat. The browned bits of sausage clinging to the sides of the pan mix with the mushrooms, so that all these tasty morsels go into the stuffing. With the addition of sautéed vegetables and fresh herbs, this is bliss to a stuffing lover.

5 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
10 cups unseasoned dry bread cubes (see Cook’s Note)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound mild Italian sausages
1 pound cremini mushrooms, wiped or brushed clean, stems trimmed, and quartered
1 large yellow onion (about 12 ounces), chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a deep, 9-by-13-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Place the bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl. In 10-inch sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and swirl to coat the pan. Cook the sausages until nicely browned on all sides. Remove and let cool. Drain all but 3 tablespoons of the fat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and sauté, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add to the bread in the bowl.

Return the pan to the heat, and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Swirl to coat the pan, and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and sauté 1 minute longer. Add this mixture to the bread cubes, and stir to combine.

Cut the reserved sausages into ¼-inch rounds and add to the stuffing. Add the beaten eggs and stock to the bowl, and mix well. Place the stuffing in the prepared pan and bake, uncovered, until the top is lightly browned and crusty, about 1 hour.

If you have room in your oven, bake the stuffing while the turkey is roasting. Otherwise, bake it beforehand and reheat it once the turkey is out.

Cook’s Note: Making your own read cubes is a small, easy task with delicious results. There is just no comparison between homemade bread cubes and the cello-packaged ones available in supermarkets. I usually prepare mine a day or two before Thanksgiving. Buy a loaf of artisan or peasant-style bread, trim the crusts, cut the bread into ½-inch cubes, and spread them out on baking sheets. Toast the cubes in a 400ºF oven until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Cool completely and store in a covered container until ready to use. Artisan bakeries are springing up in every city and town around the country. Check out their breads, and use them for these bread stuffing recipes. However, if you are short on time, the bakeries often sell toasted bread cubes made from their day-old loaves, especially at Thanksgiving time.

Tags: Christmas, dressing, holiday side dish, holidays, italian sausage, mushroom, sage, stuffing, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving side dish, Thanksgiving stuffing, turkey stuffing

For the first day of October, I thought I’d post a pumpkin recipe…seeing as it’s officially pumpkin season now. I made this delicious Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna last night for dinner. While it may not be the prettiest dish (it is a casserole, after all), it definitely is flavorful and it makes a wonderful Autumn meal.

For the pumpkin bechamel sauce, canned pumpkin is mixed into an easy-to-make white sauce, adding a light orange color but no pumpkin flavor…so even pumpkin-haters will like it!

I substituted crimini mushroom for the eggplant (approximately 8 oz.), which I sliced and sauteed with the onions and sausage. The mushrooms were a great addition!

After assembling the lasagna, I let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before baking to let the oven-ready noodles soften a bit. I then covered it with tin foil, baked it for 30 minutes, removed the foil and finished baking another 15-20 minutes (until the cheese browned a bit on top). Serve with a big green salad or Broccoli with Caramelized Onions and Pinenuts. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna
-recipe from Rachael Ray

This decadent lasagna is layered with sausage, eggplant, noodles, and a pumpkin-bechamel sauce. Yields: 4-6 servings.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/2 pounds bulk sweet Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey, whatever you like), casings removed
1 large eggplant, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk (eyeball it)
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
Few dashes fresh nutmeg
1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 1/4 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF.
 
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, about two turns of the pan. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, breaking the meat up as it cooks with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Push the meat to one side of the pan and add the eggplant, onion and garlic. Cook 7-8 minutes, until tender, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
 
While the veggies are cooking, place a medium-size sauté pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk into roux, breaking up any clumps. Bring the mixture to a bubble and add the pumpkin puree and nutmeg. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper, reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
 
Spread about 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 13 x 9″ casserole dish. Layer three lasagna noodles over the sauce, then top them with about 1 cup of the meat mixture, a cup or so of the sauce and a palmful of cheese. Repeat these layers two times, topping the casserole with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining sauce over the noodles, sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbling and pasta is baked through, about 45 minutes.
 
During the last ten minutes of baking, remove the aluminum foil to brown the cheese. Once out of the oven, allow the dish to rest a few minutes before serving.

Tags: autumn, Bechamel sauce, Casserole, italian sausage, oven-ready lasagna noodles, parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, pumpkin, pumpkin bechamel sauce, pumpkin puree, pumpkin sausage lasagna, Rachael Ray Show

Because I love Italian sausage, I always try to have some on hand so I can make simple pasta dishes like this one. The ragù gets flavor from the sausage, a little red wine, garlic and some fresh basil.  And, if you make it a day ahead, it’s a perfect meal for entertaining because all you have to do is reheat the sauce and cook the pasta. The recipe says it makes 6 first-course servings so you’ll probably want to double the recipe if you’re serving it as a main dish. Serve with a big green salad and some crusty bread and you’ve got a delicious meal!

Penne in Country Ragù
-recipe from epicurious.com

What to drink: Sangiovese wines are a classic pairing with robust pasta dishes. Try the Cantina di Montalcino 1999 Poggio del Sasso, a good-value Super Tuscan.

Yield: Makes 6 first-course servings

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces Italian sweet sausage, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cups finely chopped canned whole Italian-style plum tomatoes
1 cup (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup Chianti or other dry red wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

12 ounces penne pasta
1 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, garlic, and crushed red pepper; sauté until brown, breaking up with fork, about 6 minutes. Add carrots, onion, and celery; sauté until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Mix in tomatoes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup broth and wine; simmer uncovered until liquid is slightly reduced, about 15 minutes. Add basil; cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if liquid evaporates too quickly and stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Simmer uncovered until ragù thickens to desired consistency, stirring often, about 10 minutes longer. Season lightly with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot. Mix in ragù, 1/2 cup cheese, and 2 tablespoons oil. Add cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten, if desired. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide pasta among plates. Serve, passing 1/2 cup cheese separately.

Tags: canned Italian-style plum tomatoes, chianti, country ragu, fresh basil, italian sausage, Pasta, penne

I love winter squash in every form! This spaghetti squash recipe is a creative way of using this humble and mildly flavored variety of winter squash. It’s simple, quick and a great way to get a good dose of your green and yellow vegetables.

For the squash, I scooped the seeds out before cooking. I used a large baking pan that held both squash halves and cooked them both at the same time in the microwave (about 15 minutes). Once it was cooked, I scooped out the flesh and tossed it with pepper, Parmesan cheese, and a little salt (not too much, though, because the Italian sausage mixture will be salty).

I used a nonstick pan so I didn’t need to use oil to brown the Italian sausage. After the sausage browned, I added about 4 handfuls of baby spinach leaves to the pan. After you add the spinach, let it wilt then taste the mixture before adding any salt. You may find that the sausage is salty enough as is. Spoon Italian sausage mixture over the shredded squash. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Sausage and Greens
-recipe from Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine

Makes 4 servings.
 
1 spaghetti squash (about 3 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage
1 bunch spinach, stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Place a squash half, cut side down, in a large, microwavable dish. Add 1/2 cup water and microwave until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat with the remaining squash half. Discard the seeds. Using a fork, comb the squash into strands into a bowl. Toss with the Parmesan and season with salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Add the spinach and crushed red pepper and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes; season with salt and black pepper. Serve on top of the squash.

Tags: crushed red pepper flakes, italian sausage, spaghetti squash, spinach

If you like mushrooms, you’re going to LOVE this risotto! Like all risotto recipes, it does take some effort but, boy, is it worth it: it’s hearty, earthy and delicious!

I basically followed the recipe with a few minor substitutions. I used turkey Italian sausage and substituted Marsala wine for the Madeira. For the mushrooms, I used 6 oz. portobello, 8 oz. crimini and 4 oz. shiitake…a total of 18 ounces. I sauteed the onion and garlic in 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of butter instead of a whole stick. If you can’t find Asiago cheese, just use Parmesan. A drizzle of truffle oil would put this risotto over the top!

Italian Sausage and Wild Mushroom Risotto
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine from Tuscany, Salt Lake City, UT

At the restaurant, this dish is served as a starter. It would also make a great main course for four. Makes 8 first-course servings.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sweet sausage, casings removed, crumbled into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces portobello mushrooms, stemmed, dark gills scraped out, caps diced
10 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 1/2 cups Madeira (I used Marsala)

6 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter (I used 1/2 stick, or 4 tablespoons)
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups arborio rice or other medium-grain rice (about 13 ounces)
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add all mushrooms, thyme, and oregano and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup Madeira; boil until almost absorbed, about 1 minute. Set aside.

Bring stock to simmer in large saucepan; remove from heat and cover to keep hot. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add rice; stir 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup Madeira; simmer until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup hot stock; simmer until almost absorbed, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Continue to cook until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, adding more stock by cupfuls, stirring often and allowing most stock to be absorbed before adding more, about 25 minutes. Stir in sausage mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl. Pass cheese separately.

Tags: arborio, Asiago cheese, chicken broth, Italian, italian sausage, Madeira, Main Dish, Marsala, onion, oregano, portobello mushrooms, rice, risotto, shiitake mushrooms, Side Dish, thyme, wild mushrooms

I brought this delicious soup to a friend’s birthday luncheon recently. It’s easy to make, hearty and loaded with all kinds of tasty ingredients, including Italian sausage, carrots, tomatoes, kidney beans, and elbow macaroni.

Since I made the soup the day before I was going to serve it, I did everything up to adding the macaroni (I didn’t want it to soak up all the broth overnight). When it came time to reheat the soup, I brought it to a boil, added the macaroni, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. I then added a few cups of chopped kale leaves, letting them wilt in the simmering soup. After seasoning the soup with salt and pepper, I let my friends dig in. Note: chicken Italian sausage worked great in this recipe. 

Pasta, Sausage and Bean Soup
-recipe from epicurious.com

A little grated Parmesan sprinkled on top is a nice addition. Serves 8.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausages, castings removed
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
5 cups canned chicken broth
1 14 1/2-to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15- to 16-ounce can kidney beans, drained

1 cup elbow macaroni

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausages and sauté until beginning to brown, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper and sage. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes with their juices and beans. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes.

Add macaroni to soup and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tags: italian sausage, kidney beans, macaroni, Pasta, soup

Whether you’ve got a bumper crop of zucchini or you’re just looking for a quick weeknight meal, here’s a fresh-tasting pasta dish for you to try. It’s nothing fancy but it is easy and tasty. 

I used Foster Farms Turkey Italian Sausage, which has a lot of flavor and less fat than pork sausage. I decided to reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before I drained the pasta then added it to the skillet when I tossed everything together. This helps keep the pasta moist since there’s no sauce. Next time I’ll reserve more  pasta water (1/2 cup or so). I finished each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Italian Sausage and Zucchini Pasta

Serves 4. 

Sliced zucchini brings a fresh element to Italian sausage pasta. Served with some garlic bread and a glass of wine, it quickly becomes a satisfying meal.

12 ounces fettuccine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mild or hot Italian sausages, casings removed and broken into 1/2-in. chunks
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 pound zucchini, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-in. chunks
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, return to pot, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick frying pan, heat oil over high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.

In the same pan, cook garlic, onion, and zucchini until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepper, and reserved sausage and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Combine sausage mixture with reserved pasta and transfer to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan and serve with remaining cheese on the side.

Tags: italian sausage, Pasta, Quick Cooking, zucchini

This is a great soup…simple yet hearty and delicious. I did a few things differently but nothing that would alter the recipe too much. For starters, I used bulk Italian sausage instead of the links. If using bulk sausage, just break it into pieces with a spatula as it browns in the pan. I used a few more carrots than the recipe called for, added 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, and used low-salt chicken broth (Italian sausage and prosciutto can be salty depending on the brand). After letting the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, I added about 3 cups of chopped kale and let it cook for a few minutes until it wilted. You can save a little money by omitting the prosciutto…the soup will still be good without it. If making the soup ahead of time, add the kale (if using) when reheating and let it cook for several minutes before serving; this way the kale should be bright green when you dish up the soup. Adjust seasonings if needed and serve the soup sprinkled with a little parmesan cheese if you like.

Sausage & White Bean Soup  
-from Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson
Servings: 8

“Most of us enjoy a good pot of ham and bean soup, but often we don’t have a ham bone on hand or the time to soak and simmer dried beans. Minced prosciutto instantly transforms chicken broth into a ham-flavored soup base. Italian sausage reinforces the pork flavor and makes the soup satisfying and substantial. Canned beans work as well as dried ones, and mashing some of them thickens the soup and gives it body.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto ham, minced
2 medium onions, cut into medium dice
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into medium dice
2 medium celery stalks, cut into medium dice
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 quart chicken broth
3 cans (16 ounces each) great northern or other white beans, undrained

Heat oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add sausages and cook, turning once or twice, until well-browned on all sides, about 5 minutes (sausage will not be fully cooked).  Remove with a slotted spoon; when cool enough to handle, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Meanwhile, add prosciutto, onions, carrots, celery and thyme to pot and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are well browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add broth and sausage. Smash 1 can of beans with a fork, then add to soup with remaining beans. Cover, and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, to blend flavors, 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes to let flavors develop.

Return soup to a simmer and serve. 

Make-ahead Tip: The cooled soup can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
How can I vary it? Substitute smoked cooked sausage: kielbasa or chorizo. Other varieties of canned beans can be substituted as well.

Tags: italian sausage, Soup/Stew, white beans

My father-in-law (a meat & potatoes guy) came over for dinner the other night and I wanted to make him a nice meal–something meaty yet something he wouldn’t make for himself. I decided to make meatballs and spaghetti. This meal was truly a sight to behold: giant meatballs perfectly positioned on top of a plate of tomatoey spaghetti and garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Oh my…it was so good! 

I substituted Italian sausage for the ground veal and ground pork. The recipe calls for kosher salt, a coarser textured salt than table salt. Generally, you should use less table salt if you’re substituting it for kosher salt because a teaspoon of table salt holds more salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. Since I didn’t have kosher salt on hand, I used 1 1/4 teaspoons of table salt in the meatballs and 1 teaspoon of it in the sauce. Next time I’d probably just use 1 teaspoon of table salt in the meatballs because there’s salt in the Italian sausage and salt in the Parmesan cheese. I divided the meat mixture into 16 large meatballs. It helps to have the meatballs rolled and set aside before you start frying them. Otherwise your first batch might get too brown if you’re busy rolling meatballs and not paying attention to the ones browning. I used my big Oster Electric Skillet to brown the meatballs and it worked perfectly because of it’s size and it’s adjustable temperature control.

For the sauce, I used a 35-oz can of San Marzano tomatoes, a variety of plum tomatoes that are stronger and sweeter in flavor and less acidic than roma tomatoes. The brand I used was Cento, but any good-quality canned plum tomatoes will do. Since I was using a 35-oz can of tomatoes (instead of the 28-oz size), I also added a bit more parsley and garlic. I only cooked a pound of pasta and there was a perfect amount of sauce for it. If you like lots of sauce and are cooking 1.5 pounds pasta then I recommend doubling the sauce recipe (you may have a little extra sauce but that’s ok). This was a great dinner that everyone enjoyed (my 5-year-old on up to Grandpa). I’m sure my Italian friend Mikki and her family would be proud of me!

Real Meatballs and Spaghetti
- recipe from Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

Makes 6 servings.

For the meatballs:
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
Freshly grated Parmesan

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don’t crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don’t clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan

Tags: Beef, Comfort Food, Italian, italian sausage, meatballs, Pasta, spaghetti