Potato, Rosemary & Cured Sausage Pizza

Potato, Rosemary & Cured Sausage Pizza
Inspired by The Southern Italian Table

Printable Recipe

Hands-on time: 15 minutes plus the time to actually make the pizza dough (see California Style Pizza for my favorite recipe) or buy ready to use pizza dough – lots of supermarkets carry it.
Total Cooking time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes to preheat the oven and the baking stone.
Serves 2-4 depending on what else you’re serving. One pizza in my house covers a pizza peel (about 12”) and feed the two of us with a salad.

Ingredients:
California style pizza dough
Extra virgin olive oil (just enough to brush the surface of the pizza
2-3 small potatoes (I like Yukon Gold) boiled and thinly sliced
Handful or so of your favorite cured Italian salami like sopresseta, (for this dish I prefer ones cured in sausage form)cut into thin slices
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Cornmeal for preparing pizza peel
Handful fresh bocconcini/mozzarella, shredded (optional)
¼ - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Prepare pizza dough as directed.

2. Preheat at 450-500°F/230-260°C for at least 30 minutes (and since my oven is slow to reach the optimal temperature, I give it even more time) so timing is everything. If you’re not using a pizza stone, I would still preheat the pizza pans to give the crust a really good crispiness, but you probably only need 10-15 minutes. Lay the stone or baking sheet on the lowest rack for electric, on the floor of your oven for gas ranges.

3. Roll out the pizza dough (as per instructions) and shape as desired. Place on a pizza peel that’s been sprinkled with coarsely ground corn meal which acts as ball bearings and makes for easy sliding onto the pizza peel.

4. Brush all over with olive oil. And either…top with fresh mozzarella , or omit the cheese and just place a layer of cooked potatoes over the oiled pizza dough leaving ½” border around the edges. Sprinkle with rosemary and garlic and distribute sausage coins evenly. Do remember to only do single thin layers of potatoes and sausages or the pizza will be too heavy too heavy to slide onto the pizza stone. Brush the edges with a little more olive oil.

5. If you’re using a pizza peel, give it a quick shake to make sure it’s not stuck anywhere and then transfer to the preheated pizza stone with a good, quick jerking motion. Bake until the crust is golden –about 10 minutes in total. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and return to the oven for 2 minutes or just until the cheese melts.

6. Remove pizza to a wire rack (we just put it directly on the cutting board) and let stand for 2 minutes and then transfer to a cutting board or tray and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Slice and serve.

Italian Sausage, Potato & Mushroom Roast

Italian Sausage, Potato & Mushroom Roast
Adapted from The Illustrated Quick Cook: Easy Entertaining, After-Work Recipes, Cheap Eats

Printable Recipe

Hands on time: 5 minutes
Roasting time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1-2 tbsp olive oil
8 Italian sausages (I love sweet fennel ones made locally) – leave links whole but separate from one another
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1lb/500g small new potatoes (or fingerlings, or larger thin skinned potatoes , quartered)
8oz/225 g cremini mushrooms, (quarter large ones, leave smaller ones whole or halved)
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Red chili pepper flakes (optional – I like a little heat to balance the sweetness of the sausages)
1 heaping tsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat to 400°F/200°C. Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of a roasting pan large enough to hold everything in one layer.

2. Toss all the ingredients in the pan and roast until done, stirring occasionally. (about 30 minutes)

Serve with a salad and you won’t even break a sweat.

Pasta with Sweet Fennel Sausages & Digby Sea Scallops

Pasta with Sweet Fennel Sausage & Digby Sea Scallops

Prep/Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
½ box (10oz/300g) long pasta, I used good quality pappardelle – just can’t remember the brand
1 tbsp olive oil
3 sweet fennel Italian sausages
1 tbsp butter
1 cup cremini mushrooms sliced
1 lb/450g large Digby sea scallops
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red chili pepper flakes
Juice of 1 lemon
Splash of Zinfindal or white wine
Handful of baby arugula leaves

Directions
1. Cook the pasta in salted water in a large Dutch oven as per package directions.

2. In the meantime, in a large skillet, pan grill the sausages over medium-high heat, 5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and slice in ½” rounds. If not cooked through, return to the pan until no longer pink. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve in a bowl.

3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter to the fat in the skillet, and add the mushrooms. Cook until golden over medium high heat (4-5 minutes). Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and toss for another minute or two. Add to the sausages.

4. If needed, add a little more olive oil to the pan and sauté the scallops, wine and lemon juice over high heat, turning once. They only need 2-3 minutes per side. Add the sausage mixture just to heat through. Note: this step should be done when the pasta is almost done so that neither the pasta or the scallops are overcooked.

5. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving dish. Add the scallops and sausages, top with a heaping handful of arugula and toss. Taste for seasoning – you might need more lemon juice or chili pepper flakes.

Green Lentils & Garlicky Sausages

Green Lentils & Garlicky Sausages
From Bistros and Brasseries

Hands on time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1 cup Du Puy (green lentils), rinsed & drained
1 cup chicken stock
2½ cups water
Salt & pepper to taste
½ tsp sherry vinegar
½ lb French garlic sausage (I actually used 4 garlicky lamb sausages)
¼ cup Italian/flat leaf parsley

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a 3 quart saucepan on medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the minced shallots and stir until fragrant (3-4 minutes).

2. Add the lentils and stir for 1 minute. Add the stock and water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer. Add the salt & pepper and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 25-35 minutes – until the lentils are tender.

3. Drain the lentils and reserve the cooking liquid. Return the liquid to the saucepan and reduce by half (about 5 minutes). Return the lentils to the liquid, adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper, add the vinegar and turn off the heat. Cover and set aside.

4. In the meantime cook the sausages (The book calls for poaching, steaming or microwaving. I prefer to grill mine for 5 minutes per side). Slice the sausages into ½” rounds.

5. To serve, either divide the lentils on individual serving plates or one large platter and arrange the sausages on top. Garnish with parsley and serve.