Broccoli pasta with fennel sausage, lemon & chilli flakes

For ➍

600 g broccoli, in florets & the stem in pieces

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 fresh fennel sausages (about 250 g in total), skin removed

chilli flakes, to taste

400 g orecchiette pasta

1 lemon, juice & zest

3 tbs unsalted butter, cubed

50 g Parmigiano, grated + extra for garnish

Cook the broccoli in a large pan with plenty of salted water in 3 m until al dente. Remove the broccoli from the pan with a slotted spoon and let it cool. Save the cooking water for the pasta. Chop the broccoli into small pieces. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large skillet or skillet over medium heat. Fry the garlic until it starts to change color and smell, about 2 m. Remove the garlic from the pan and fry the sausages in the oil. Break the sausage meat into pieces with a wooden spatula and season with chili flakes. Bake until sausage is cooked through, about 6-8 m.

Bring the broccoli water to the boil again and cook the pasta until almost al dente, about 9 m (set the timer 3 m shorter than indicated on the package).

Remove about 10 cl of cooking liquid from the pasta pan and pour over the sausage. Add the garlic and broccoli. Season with 1 ts of lemon juice and zest. Mash the broccoli with a potato masher.

Remove the pasta from the pan with a slotted spoon and mix with the broccoli. Add a generous splash of cooking liquid and cook the pasta for a few more m until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is cooked through. Now add the butter and stir until it melts. Season to taste with the Parmigiano.

Serve the pasta with more Parmigiano, lemon zest, olive oil and chilli flakes.

Gnocchi cremosi di salsiccia e funghi (gnocchi with sausage & mushrooms)

For ➍

3 Italian sausages, casings removed* 

200 portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped** 

2 shallots, minced 

2 tbs butter*** 

1 tbs oil 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

200 g potato gnocchi 

10 cl dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio) 

1-2 tbs heavy cream**** 

½ ts Italian herbs, dried***** 

1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste 

salt & ground black pepper to taste 

Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat and cook sausage until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 7 m. 

Continue to brown the meat and add mushrooms, shallots, butter, and oil. Cook until mushrooms and onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 5 m. 

Add garlic and cook for 1 to 2 m. 


Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook gnocchi in the boiling water until they float to the top, 2 to 4 m. Drain and set aside. 


Add white wine to the sausage mixture and simmer, uncovered, until wine has reduced by half, about 5 m. 

Add gnocchi, cream, Italian herbs, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. 

Cook over medium-low heat until sauce has thickened, about 10 m. 

Serve without cheese.

*lemon & thyme pork sausages recommended 

**or use a creative mushroom blend, like porcini, shiitake, small button mushrooms 

***use 2 tbs olive oil instead 

****use lactose-free vegan cream instead 

*****use ½-1 tbs fresh herbs like oregano instead

Orecchiette con cime di rapa (orecchiette with turnip tops)

For ➋ 

250 g orecchiette,

3 garlic cloves, sliced 

½ red chilli, sliced or 2 tsp red pepper flakes

5 anchovies*

200 g turnip tops (leaves teared from stems, chopped)**, or tenderstem broccoli

pecorino or toasted breadcrumbs (optional) 

alt:

150 g Italian sausage

fresh rosemary

white wine

Begin by making and cooking the orecchiette and cooking it in salted boiling water. If using dried pasta, add the shredded turnip tops and cook together. If not, cook the shredded turnip tops in oil in a pan.

Meanwhile, gently fry the garlic and chilli with the anchovies in a little of their oil until the has softened a little and the anchovies have dissolved.

Drain the pasta (reserve 1 tbs of the cooking water), then add the pasta and broccoli to the anchovy pan and toss a few m to coat the pasta evenly. If needed***, add 1 tbs of the cooking water.

Add some pecorino, or crumbled toasted breadcrumbs if wanted.

*or use meat from an Italian sausage instead. 

:: In a pan, add olive oil and sliced garlic in a cold pan.  Add the red pepper flakes and finely chopped fresh rosemary, then crumble the sausage meat. Turn on the heat and cook for 10 m.  Add the chopped turnip tops until soft and tender. Add a small glass of white wine.

Cook the orecchiette in boiling water for 8 m. Drain and add the orecchiette to the vegetables. Add some pecorino, or crumbled toasted breadcrumbs if wanted. ::

**or use tenderstem broccoli.

***when using fresh pasta

Gnocchi with cavolo nero & sausage

For ➍

2 salsicce or other pork sausages

3 tbs sunflower oil

1 tbs fennel seeds

500 g  gnocchi

800 g Italian stir-fry mix cavolo nero* 

Remove the skin from the sausages. Heat ⅓ of the oil in a frying pan and fry the sausage meat with the fennel seeds 3 m over medium heat until golden brown. While cooking, press the meat into pieces with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and fry the gnocchi 8 m. Over medium heat until golden yellow and done. Toss regularly.

Add the stir-fry vegetables to the sausage meat and fry for 7 m while stirring over high heat. 

Add the gnocchi, season with salt and pepper and serve.

*Or make a mix from cavolo nero cabbage, chestnut mushrooms, broccoli & scallion.

Fregola & sausage with harissa

For ➋

2 tbs olive oil 

6 large sausages, herby rather than spicy* 

400 g assorted tomatoes** 

150 g fregola*** 

1-2 tbs harissa paste

olive oil 

Warm the oil in a large, shallow-sided pan and fry the sausages over a low to moderate heat until nicely browned. Remove the sausages, slice them thickly then return them to the pan. 

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add them to the sausages, letting them soften and collapse into a rough sauce over a moderate heat. ut a large pan of water on to boil and add a little salt. Tip in the fregola and leave to boil for 10 m. Check its progress regularly, draining it as soon as it is tender. Stir the harissa paste into the tomatoes and season with a little salt. Cook until you have a rich, thick sauce then stir in the drained fregola. 

Check the seasoning and serve. 

*Use eggplant chunks for a vegetarian version. Use more oil. 

**Add a little sugar for a stronger taste.

***Fregola (or fregula) is a Sardinian couscous-like toasted pasta from durum wheat. 

Boudins d'Amay (Belgian pudding sausages with sweet potatoes, turnips & parsnips)

For ➍
4 boudins blancs de Liège (white sausages with pork meat, bread and marjoram)
4 boudins noirs (black pudding sausages) with raisins
4 parsnips
4-6 sweet potatoes
3-4 rutabaga/swedes (purple turnips)
1 tbs honey
4 onions
2 ts sirop de Liège
4 garlic cloves
3 ts mustard
4 ts cranberry jam
fleur de sel
Espelette pepper
olive oil
butter

Dip the unpeeled parsnip in salted water and boil for 15 m. Cool in ice-water, rub the skin off.
Cut the parsnips into thick slices and brush them with olive oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sel, and toast the slices on both sides on a grill. Drizzle with (mandarin) oil and give them a whirl with the pepper mill.
Meanwhile put unpeeled sweet potatoes, in an oven @ 200°C. Roast for 45 m.
Put 4 unpeeled onions in the oven and let them yarn. Peel the sweet potatoes, rub the sweet potatoes with olive oil and a little sesame oil, sprinkle with fleur de sel, a little Espelette pepper and honey. Put the sweet potatoes in a baking dish with butter and bake them a little more.
Peel the onions, arrange them with some crushed garlic cloves in a baking dish. Peel the rutabaga turnips, cut into cubes. Fry them briefly in olive oil and add them to the baking dish. Brown a little butter and spread over the turnips. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and pepper. Put the baking dish in the oven for 40 m @ 180-200°C. Toss a few times.
Mix 3 ts mustard with 4 (or more) ts of cranberry jam.
Slice black pudding sausages with raisins and white Liege tripes. Fry in foaming butter.
Arrange the sweet potato, roasted parsnips, turnips on the warmed plates. Dress the turnips with a spoonful of syrup of Liège. Put the sliced sausages next to a generous serving of the mixed mustard. If desired, garnish with parsley and sesame seeds.

*Alternatively, clean and slice the vegetables. Steam for 20 m and grill them lightly.

*Or peel the vegetables, cut  into small parts, preheat an oven to 200°C, put the vegetables on baking paper (each in  small group of its own), spray with olive oil, bake them for about 25 m. Dress the vegetables with honey, mustard & jam, butter, as indicated in the recipe.

Gnocchi & sausage

For ➍
250 g potato gnocchi
3 smoked pork sausages, sliced*
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs butter
pinch of hot pepper flakes
½ tbs fresh thyme leaves
½ tbs fresh oregano, chopped
100 g (frozen & thawed) peas**
50 g grated Parmigiano**
salt & pepper

Prepare the gnocchi according to package instructions.
While the gnocchi is cooking, heat up a skillet with 1 tbs of butter. Add the sausage* and onions. Cook until sausage is browned and onions are soft. On medium heat, add the garlic, hot pepper flakes, thyme and oregano. Cook for 1 m or until the garlic is softened.
Drain the gnocchi, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the gnocchi to the sausage mixture. Shake the skillet so the gnocchi don't stick. Add the peas and remaining tbs of butter. Salt and pepper to taste.
Top with cheese**. Let the cheese melt slightly before serving.
Serve with a glass of northern Italian white wine, like pinot grigio.

*Or use a dry, not too salty Italian salami, such as salamini alla cacciatora. Melt the onions first, then add the salami, which requires only warming instead of cooking. The smoked pork sausages make it taste rather Austrian.
**Optional.

Serve gnocchi with sauces like vegetables & ricotta sauce, tomato & butter sauce, Tuscan white sauce, Italian meat sauce...

Stamppot van peterselie & prei (parsley & leeks mash with chorizo ​​& poached egg)

For ➍
400 g mushy potatoes
150 g chorizo ​​sausage
1 dash white wine vinegar
4 fresh eggs
½ leek
½ bundle of parsley
20 cl warm milk
30 g butter
pepper, salt, nutmeg

Peel the potatoes, boil until tender in salt water.
Cut chorizo ​​into small cubes and fry in a pan. Place on paper towels.
Bring a pan of water to a boil. Add the vinegar. Break an egg into a ladle. Put the spoon in boiling water and turn the spoon gently so the egg floats in water. Poach for 3 m and remove with a slotted spoon. Place on paper towels. Poach the other eggs.
Cut leek into rounds. Wash and chop the parsley.
Cook the leek with the potatoes for 5 m. Pour away the water. Add milk, butter, pepper, salt and nutmeg. Mash. Add chorizo ​​and parsley, stir.
Put mash in round forms, put on a plate, remove the forms. Put the poached egg on the stew. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Pollo a la Riojana (Rioja chicken)

For ➍
1 chicken, cut in 8 pieces*
1 yellow onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic
2 red peppers
1 Spanish (sweet) chorizo sausage
3-4 tbs olive oil
2-3 sprigs parsley
20 cl white wine
20 cl chicken broth
200 g peas, drained (canned or frozen)**
salt & pepper

Peel and chop the onion. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices. Remove the stems and seeds and cut the red peppers into strips. Slice the chorizo into rounds. Chop the parsley.
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a couple tbs of olive oil. Brown the chicken in the pot on both sides.*** Remove pot from heat and set aside.
While the chicken is browning in the pot, heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add parsley, peppers, chorizo***. Cook, stirring often for about 10 m.
Add vegetables to the large pot of chicken and mix. Add white wine and chicken broth. Stir. Cover and simmer for 30-40 m. About 5 m before removing chicken from stove, add peas.
Serve with bread or potato wedges and a glass of full-bodied Spanish red wine.
Let it cool. Cut the chicken piece into smaller chunks and serve, at room temperature, as a salad.

*Or 8 pieces of legs and breasts.
**Use chickpeas instead.
***Put chorizo into the pot before the chicken, allowing the chicken to take the colour. Add other ingredients after removing chicken pieces.

This winter dish from the northern Spanish region of Rioja works well in any season. Try another chicken & chorizo combination.

Oven-baked sausages

For ➍
4 grill sausages
1 chopped leek
16 Italian bruschetta, cut into chunks.
olive oil
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Cut the sausage in half and place in a small baking dish. Spread the leek over the sausage. Cover with bruschetta. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Put in the oven for 30 m.

After 20 m remove the foil. Bake for 10 m more to crisp the top.

Serve with potatoes and a green salad.

Or add to a quick risotto. (Cut the sausages in bite-size chunks before baking).

Breakfast risotto with sausages

For ➍
4 tbs butter
4 hot Italian sausages, casings removed*
1 small onion, chopped
2 small bay leaves
175 g arborio rice
10 cl dry white wine
60 cl low-salt chicken broth
pinch of saffron threads
50 g freshly grated Parmigiano cheese plus additional for serving
5 tbs chopped fresh Italian parsley

Melt 2 tbs butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add sausages and break up with fork.

Add onion and bay leaves. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 4 m.

Stir in rice. Add wine. Boil until liquid evaporates, 1 m.

Add broth and saffron. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until risotto is tender, adding more broth if dry, about 18 m

Discard bay leaves. Mix in cheese and parsley.

Season with salt and pepper. Pass cheese alongside.

*Alternatively, grill the sausages before removing the casing.

See risotto tip.

Hutsepot van spruitjes (Brussels sprouts' hodgepodge)

For ➍
750 g fresh sprouts, cut into quarters
800 g potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 onions, chopped
1 (or more) smoked sausage, cut into bite-size chunks
6 dl (fresh) chicken stock, sieved
4 sprigs fresh thyme & 4 bay leaves in a bouquet garni
butter
nutmeg
pepper & salt

Put a large casserole over medium heat. Melt a big nut of butter.

Add the onions. Stew until translucent.

After 2-3 m, add the sprouts. Stir regularly.

After 5 m, add the potatoes.

Moisten the mixture with the chicken stock.

Add the bouquet garni.

Add the meat to the hodgepodge. Put the lid on the pot. Let simmer for about 20 m over low heat.

Season with freshly grated nutmeg, black pepper and salt.

Serve hodgepodge in a deep plate. Eat with a spoon. Drink a strong blonde beer with it.

In a traditional recipe, the hutsepot would consist of several winter vegetables, a lot more meat, and would take a longer while to stew. This is a quick and simpler version, suitable for 4 people.

Chicken with chorizo & potatoes

For ➍
2 tbs olive oil
12 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on
750 g baby (sweet) chorizo sausages, or 4 cm chunks*
1 kg spring potatoes, halved
2 red onions, peeled & roughly chopped
2 ts dried oregano
1 untreated orange, grated zest only

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Pour 1 tbs of the oil into each of 2 shallow roasting tins. Place 6 chicken thighs into each tin. Rub the skin of the chicken thighs in the oil, then turn them skin-side up. Divide the chorizo sausages and the new potatoes between the tins. Sprinkle the onion and the oregano over, then sprinkle the grated orange zest over the contents. Cook in the oven for 1 h, swapping the top tray with the bottom tray after 30 ms and basting the contents with the orange-coloured juices.

Serve with a green salad.

*When using chunks, add the chorizo pieces after 30 m to avoid over-cooking.

Try an oven-cooked chorizo & chicken combination.

Sausages & mustard

For ➋
3 tbs fruity olive oil
2 onions, peeled, sliced
2 handfuls of small hollow pasta, like conchiglie
4-6 good quality (Italian) sausages (300 g)
1 small handful fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus some extra for serving
1 tbs smooth mustard
1 tbs grainy mustard
30 cl of double cream
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large pan. Add the oil. Fry the onions until they are sweet and soft, not crisp. With lid on, it will take 8-10 m.

Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling salted water.

Skin the sausages. Rip the meat into good sized chunks. Add to the onions and cook for a few m.

Add the flat leaf parsley and stir in the mustards.

Stir in the cream. Check the seasoning, adding more mustard if you want.

Drain the pasta. And add to the cream and stir well.

Serve immediately with an extra sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Roasted parsnips

For ➍
2 parsnips*
2 tbs olive oil

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Peel the parsnips. Remove end and top. Cut into pieces of about 1 cm.

Put in one layer in an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with olive oil.

Cook for 25 m.

Serve as a side dish. (With potato mash and coarse meat sausage, for instance).

*1 will suit 2 persons.
**Or cut into chip size slices, sprinkle with olive oil, thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Put under the grill for 15 m. You will need about 1 parsnip per person to serve as a replacement for potato chips.
***Or cut 450 g parsnips in large chunks. Mix 4 tbs sherry and 3 tbs honey. Cover the parsnip chunks with the mix. Add Cajun spices and black pepper. Roast for 10 m, turn the chunks over and bake for another 10 m. Or until the parsnips are golden brown. Serve as a side dish with roast meat or fowl like pheasant.
***Or mix 2 tbs olive oil, ¼ ts black pepper, ½ ts kosher salt, ½ ts thyme. Coat the cut parsnips with it and bake in oven for 25 m.

Read tip on cooking parsnips.

Antipasti pasta salad

For ➏
1 or 2 tbs red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
4 tbs olive oil
500 g rotini or other small ridged pasta, freshly cooked to tender, rinsed under cold water, & drained
1 jar marinated artichokes, drained & chopped
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained & cut into 0.5 cm thick strips (or freshly roasted peppers)
250 g mozzarella, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
250 g thinly sliced sweet soppressata or salami, cut into 2.5 cm pieces*
100 g brine-cured black olives, pitted & chopped
a handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Whisk together red wine vinegar and olive oil in a large bowl.Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve at room temperature.

*Use 300 g Italian sausage, cut in 1,5 cm cubes before braisng slowly in basil scented olive oil for 8 m. They will form bite-size pearls. Let it cool and remove skin before adding.

Read tip on cooking pasta for a cold salad.
Read more cold pasta salad recipes.

Sugo bianco (Tuscan white sauce)

For ➍/ 75 cl*
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 sweet Italian sausages**
2 large fresh porcini mushrooms, brushed & chopped
1 medium zucchini, grated
4 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
3 tbs fresh cream or mascarpone
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Heat a saucepan. Heat olive oil. Make the onion soft.
Strip the skins away from the sausages and crumble the sausage meat with a fork or your fingers.
Add the sausage meat to the onions and continue cooking very gently, stirring occasionally, until the meat has browned.
Add the grated zucchini to the pan, also add the sage. Stir well, and cook on medium heat until the zucchini bits are softened. Stir in the chopped mushrooms. Add a few tbs of water. Raise the heat to medium and cook rapidly until most of the liquid has evaporated or been absorbed.
Take the sauce off the heat, and stir in the cream. Return briefly to the heat.
Season to taste.
Serve immediately over gnocchi, fusilli, or other short, curly pasta. Mix the pasta and sauce for 1 m, so the sauce really clings to the pasta, not that the pasta swims around in sauce.

*Leftovers can be frozen for a short period.
**Or any good fresh thick sausage with rather coarse meat. It can also be made with strips of wild boar or pork.

This white sauce, sometimes called ragu' bianco, has no tomatoes, and can be served with a variety of pasta.

Rodekoolstoemp met worst (Flemish red cabbage mash & sausage)

For ➍
4 coarse pork sausages*
butter
½ red cabbage
2 Jonagold apples, peeled & cubed
100 g/2 tbs sugar (or 2 tbs red currant jelly)
2 tbs vinegar
4 tbs water
cinnamon
laurel
pepper & salt

Discard white heart and outer leaves of the cabbage.

Julienne the cabbage. Rinse with cold water.

Melt butter in pot. Add the sliced cabbage.

Moisten with water and vinegar. Add salt, pepper and a leave of laurel.

Simmer for 30 m. Add cubed apples. Cover and simmer for another 10 m.**

Meanwhile start baking the sausages in some butter on medium heat, without pricking the skin.

Remove the laurel. Thicken the cabbage with sugar or red fruit jam. Simmer uncovered for some m allowing the liquid to evaporate.

Add cinnamon.

Serve with boiled or steamed potatoes***.

*Use coarse pork meat sausages, or black paunches/boudins. Alternatively, serve with baked or grilled meat balls.
**Enhance the taste by sautéing some onions before adding the cabbage to the pan.
Winter cabbage will take about 1 h in total, summer cabbage 30 m.
***You could mix the potatoes and cabbage into a stoemp ('stamppot' in official Dutch), a typical Belgian and Dutch way of mashing potatoes with winter vegetables.

Friuli winter salad

For ➍, ➏ as a starter
230 g (green) leaves, a mixture of radicchio*, watercress & endives
150 g speck or raw bacon in 1 piece
150 g spicy Italian sausage
125 g cooked chestnuts
1½ tbs groundnut oil
30 g toasted walnuts
seeds from ½ pomegranate**
dressing:
½ tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Cut the speck into cubes, about 2 cm square. Take the skin off the sausages. Break the sausage meat up into little chunks. Cut the chestnuts in half. (When already broken into chunks, leave them alone.)
Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together. Tear the radicchio leaves into pieces and pull the leaves off the endives. Put them into a broad shallow bowl.
Heat 1 tbs oil in a frying pan and cook the speck and sausage over a high heat until well coloured and cooked through. Throw this onto the leaves.
Heat the remaining ½ tbs oil and quickly sauté the chestnuts until they are hot. Season with salt and pepper.
Throw them, and the walnuts onto the leaves. Add the dressing and toss.
Sprinkle the pomegranate* seeds over the top and serve immediately.

*Replace with (purple) endives.
**Pomegranate seeds can be replaced by a fried egg.

The (Süd-Tiroler) speck is a juniper-flavored ham from the Tyrol region, now split between Italy and Austria. Speck bears both the tradition of Mediterranean salt curing and central European smoking.
Read more Friuli recipes: Friuli cherries' strudel, Trieste beef stew.
More pomegranate salads: pomegranate,endives & feta, pomegranate, tomatoes & garlic, warm lamb salad with pomegranate & mint, pomegranate & cucumber salad, pomegranate & quinoa salad, pomegranate fruit salad

English stuffed tomatoes

For ➊
1 tomato
2 chipolatas (or any other spicy sausage)
30g butter
2 slices of smoked bacon, chopped
2 extremely fresh eggs
2 tbs double cream
1 ts chives, chopped

Preheat oven to 220°C. Cut the top off the tomato and scoop out the seeds. Place onto a baking tray with the sausages and cook in the oven for 8-10 m.
Melt the butter in a pan. Fry the bacon for 2-3 m, or until brown and cooked through.
Place the eggs and cream in a bowl and beat together. Stir in the chives.
Pour the eggs into the pan with the bacon and stir consistently until the eggs have set. Remove from the heat.
Remove the tomato from the heat and spoon the scrambled egg inside. Serve the sausages alongside.
Serve with fresh toast.