Italian Sausage Hash

12oz. mild Italian sausage

1-2T butter

1 med. yellow onion - chopped

1c± dry white wine

2 lg. celery stalks - finely diced

¼ med. green pepper - chopped

5 lg. cloves of garlic - chopped

3c small cubed potatoes

6oz. red pasta sauce
1-2T aged balsamic vinegar

Squeeze sausage out of the casings into the pan.  Add butter and a little of the onion, finely chopped.  Saute' this together, breaking up the sausage.  Add a little of the wine to keep the meat from sticking, it also adds great flavor.  Chop, dice and cube the rest of the vegetables and add them to the pan.  Stir in the red sauce, the rest of the wine and the vinegar.  The vinegar will cut the grease and balance the flavors.  Cover and simmer until the celery is done.  This made 4-6 servings. . .Lin

Spaghetti and Italian Meatballs!!!

This is an area of TOTAL unfamiliarity to me!  I bought a pound of mild Italian sausage from my local grocery store for a meat sauce to go with a very old Spaghetti Squash taking up residence on my counter.  Well. . .alas. . .said Spaghetti Squash had bit the dust without my knowing. . . 😔  Since I had already thawed the sausage, I decided to venture forth and make meatballs!!  Italian Meatballs. . .A Big Adventure for this Scandinavian Chef!

1# mild Italian sausage

⅓ lg. sweet onion - chopped 

1 extra large garlic clove - grated

2T ground chia-flax seed

2T tomato paste from a tube

1 egg

½c rolled oats

⅓c half and half

Mix this all together, form the meatballs and bake at 375° for 45 minutes.  Cook the pasta of your choice to al dente' stage and drain.  I had a little Vodka Pasta Sauce and combined that with half a jar of Paul Newman's Sockarooni sauce and a big splash of white wine.  Saute' the meatballs in this for a few minutes, combine with the pasta, top with cheese and serve! . . . Lin