Minestra With Sweet Sausage Recipes

MINESTRONE SOUP WITH SWEET SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the pasta and toast until deep golden, nutty and fragrant, then remove the pasta and reserve. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO and raise the heat a bit. Add the sausage and cook until browned, then transfer the sausage to a plate. Add the carrots, fennel, garlic and onions, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Return the sausage to the pot and add the beans and Chicken Poaching Liquid. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the tomatoes into the soup. Add the rosemary and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the soup to combine the flavors. Return the soup to a boil, stir in the toasted pasta and cook until al dente. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and top with the cheese. Serve with ciabbatta rolls. Cook's Note: If you are not serving the soup immediately, cool and store it in the refrigerator before adding the pasta. Return it to a boil and cook the pasta as directed.
• Place the chicken in a pot and add the bay leaves, carrots, celery, lemons, onions, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and some salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and poach the chicken for 1 hour. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones and separate the meat into bite-size pieces. Strain the stock and reserve.

MINESTRONE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion, carrots, basil and garlic; cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
• Stir broth, tomatoes and great northern beans into sausage mixture. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in macaroni, zucchini and frozen green beans. Heat to boiling. Cook over medium-high heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are hot and macaroni is tender.

UPSTATE MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, brown sausage in oil. Add the onion, carrots, garlic and basil; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cabbage, zucchini, broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper. , Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add beans; cook 20 minutes longer. Garnish with parsley. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little broth or water if necessary.

ITALIAN MINESTRA WITH SAUSAGES

Steps:

• Poke sausages on several sides with a fork. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausages and water and cook until water has evaporated and sausages are browned. Add olive oil, onion, cabbage, garlic, Simply Potatoes, carrot and celery to the pot. Cook until the cabbage is wilted. Add chicken broth, tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer with lid askew and cook for 30 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook just until it is wilted. Ladle steaming minestra into bowls and pass the Romano cheese to sprinkle on top. Serve with chunks of Italian bread.

MINI SAUSAGE MEATBALL MINESTRA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Roll the sausage into walnut-sized meatballs. Drop them into the skillet and brown on all sides, then remove them to a plate.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, then add the escarole and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, to taste. Cook until the escarole has wilted. Add the beans and cook until heated through. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook to al dente.
• Return the meatballs back to the pot for the last 4 minutes of cooking. Adjust the seasonings and ladle into serving bowls. Heavily sprinkle each serving with cheese and serve with crusty bread for mopping.