Gearing up for summer already?
Whether you're planning lots of backyard BBQs or quiet meals with friends, there are plenty of recipes for you to choose from to elevate your next get-together.
Italian sausage recipes are a popular choice for summer meals. Many people get it confused with the American variety for breakfast, but the spices included in each make them different. The American breakfast sausage is typically seasoned with sage while Italian sausage is primarily seasoned with garlic and fennel.
Depending upon your preference and the dish you're making, you can find both hot and sweet Italian sausage. Hot Italian sausage usually contains the same spices as sweet, but with added chile pepper.
If you've been scouring the Internet for the best sausage recipes, look no further. We've compiled some of our favorite dishes for summer cooking. These are easy sausage recipes that you can whip up in no time.
Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
If you want to whip up an easy Italian sausage dish for a weeknight meal, this one is for you. You will need the following ingredients:
- 11 ounces hot Italian sausages
- 8 ounces uncooked penne rigate pasta
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Six large sliced basil leaves
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. Remove the sausage from its casings, crumbling it into a large skillet. Cook it for around five minutes over medium-high heat until browned.
Take the cooked sausage out of the pan and set it aside, draining the fat. Back in your pan, add the garlic and chicken broth. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk it until dissolved.
Cook this mixture until it has reduced. This should take around one or two minutes.
Then, add in the cream, tomatoes, and sausage. Cook for a few minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Just before serving, add in your basil and toss it with your drained pasta. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Italian Sausage and Vegetable Sheet Pan Dinner
When it's hot outside, the last thing you want to do is slave away over a stove. While you do have to turn on the oven for this recipe, you can also cook it on a BBQ. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray before adding in your ingredients.
For this recipe, you will need:
- Marinade:
- 3 tablespoons Dagostino balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup Dagostino olive oil
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons chopped basil
- 2-3 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Meat and Vegetables:
- 1-2 zucchini
- 2-3 yellow summer squash
- 1-2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 1 medium onion
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 3-4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Before you make this recipe, head over to your local farmer's market to get fresh summer vegetables. This is a great way to showcase local flavors in their prime.
Preheat the oven to 450° (or your BBQ if you're going down that route). Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray. Whisk together the ingredients for the marinade.
Wash your vegetables and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Toss them in the marinade, letting it sit for around 10 minutes. Drain the marinade and place the vegetables on the sheet pan.
Take your Italian sausage and cut it into one-inch pieces. Place on top of the veggies. Bake in the oven for around 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked all the way through.
Once finished, grate some cheese over the top and put it back in the oven to melt. Serve over rice or pasta.
Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
This will be your next go-to recipe for a quick and creamy meal. It can be ready in as little as 20 minutes. You'll need the following ingredients to whip up this delectable dinner:
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 1/2 minced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon Dagostino olive oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 ounces spinach
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta to al dente. While your pasta cooks heat up a skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the olive oil and cook the sausage with garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and salt until the sausage is cooked through.
If there's a lot of fat in your pan, drain it out, but keep the sausage in the pan. Turn the heat down to low and add in the cream. Bring it to a low bubble and add in your spinach.
Cook for another three minutes, stirring until the spinach is wilted. Add in the parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. Serve immediately.
One-Pot Italian Sausage Pasta
For an Italian sausage dish your family will love, check out this one-pot meal. Make sure you have these ingredients on hand:
- 1 pound sliced Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces Dagostino pasta
- 1 chopped medium onion
- 3 minced cloves of garlic
- 2 cups broth
- 14.5 ounce can of Italian style tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Put a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's heated up, add in the olive oil and Italian sausage. Cook the sausage all the way through.
Add in the garlic and chopped onions, cooking for five more minutes until the onions soften. Then, add the heavy cream, broth, diced tomatoes, and broken-up pieces of the dry pasta to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and stir.
Bring the heat down to medium-low, covering the pan with a lid. Let it cook without touching for 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
Add in 3/4 cup of cheese. Top with the rest of the cheese and place the lid back on so it can melt. Serve immediately.
Italian Sausage Recipes for the Summer Season
Switching up your recipes for the summer after your taste buds have been hibernating all winter has never been easier than with Italian sausage. It's an incredibly versatile meat, lending itself well to recipes with sausage or simple grilled meals.
These Italian sausage recipes will be sure to satisfy your taste buds while you explore different flavor combinations. If you're looking for other Italian ingredients to add to your kitchen, check out our curated Italian market.