BIT Rustic Sausage Eggplant Meatballs

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 lb BIT Rustic Italian Sausage Hot (loose sausage meat or removed from casing)1/2 lb BIT Rustic Italian Sausage Mild (loose sausage meat or removed from casing)
1 small eggplant
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups of Italian bread

3 tbsp fresh parsley 

1 egg

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup of pine nuts(optional)

1/2 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano grated cheese

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

Preparation:

Combine hot and mild sausage in a medium size bowl and then transfer to a food processor and grind to hamburger like consistency. Soak Italian bread in warm water until soft, squeeze out water and set aside. Peel and wash eggplant and chop into 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. Blanch the eggplant slices,strain and squeeze water out.  Soak raisins for 20 minutes in hot water, drain, and roughly chop into pieces golden raisins. Grate cheese. Wash and chop parsley and set aside.

Directions:

Combine following ingredients in large bowl: Sausage meat, bread, raisins, egg, parsley, cheese, eggplant and pine nuts (if using). Using your hands mix all the ingredients together until combined.

Heat a medium size skillet over medium high heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Make one small ball about the diameter of a quarter. Fry in extra virgin olive oi, turning gently, until golden brown on all sides and cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. 

Form the rest of the mixture into small balls and fry in extra virgin olive oil until golden brown all over. Serve hot and along with your favorite marinara dipping sauce.

Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Eggplant Meatballs
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved.

B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage One-Pot Meal - Potato & Peas

Ingredients:

1 lb. B.I.T Mild Rustic Italian Sausage, loose sausage meat or removed from casing
1 lb. B.I.T Hot Rustic Italian Sausage, loose sausage meat or removed from casing

7 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large onion

2 cups cooked peas

5 medium sized Russet Potato

Preparation:

Peel and slice onion into 1/2" slices.  In a medium size bowl, combine uncooked hot and mild sausage meat.  Peel and wash potatoes. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and then slice down the middle lengthwise again and cut the halves into 1/4" slices. If using frozen peas, cook the peas according to the directions on the package and drain.

Directions:
Heat 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and the loose sausage meat to the pot and saute together until sausage is browned and beginning to stick to bottom of pan.  Break up sausage meat into small pieces as it cooks. Once the sausage is browned and the onions are cook, spoon the mixture into a medium size bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, adjust the heat to medium-low, add 2 additional tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to the pot and the potato slices and cook the potatoes until they are browned and you can easily pierce them with a fork. When the potatoes are cooked, add the sausage mixture back into the pot, along with the cooked peas, and the last 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Gently combine the sausage, potatoes and peas and cover. If you find that the mixture is dry add a little more extra virgin olive oil. Continue to cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until the flavors come together and serve.



Original B.I.T Recipe: B.I.T Rustic Italian Sausage Simple One-Pot Meal - Potato & Peas
Courtesy of Chef Bertha Teresa Thomas
© Copyright 2015 Becoming Italian Today, All Rights Reserved