The holidays offer lots of time with family and friends and often food is a main attraction to the many festivities. Traditions are a part of each of us and sharing of these traditions is always welcome. Food traditions vary in each culture, each country and within each family. In an Italian household, sausage bread is often a traditional holiday food, served either as an appetizer with a cocktail or wine or as a bread on the dinner table. I often change my recipe for sausage bread, just to keep it interesting and delight my guests. This recipe is with sausage and broccoli rabe. Another variation is sliced olives with pimentos instead of the vegetable.
Ingredients:
1 small dough (homemade or bought from your favorite pizzeria)
4 large plain (no fennel) sausage – out of the casing
2 large hot sausage – out of the casing
(I recommend Iavarone’s sausage, high quality, best taste)
1 bunch of broccoli rabe – washed with tough stem ends cut off
4 garlic cloves – sliced
¼ cup of chopped scallions
½ lb of mozzarella – cubed
¼ cup of grated locatelli cheese
4 tbsp of olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
1 egg white
Directions:
1. Coat the dough with flour and place on a baking sheet allowing it to rise for a couple of hours.
2. Knead the dough, stretching to a long narrow rectangular shape (8-10 inches wide).
3. In a skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, lightly brown the scallions.
4. Then put your sausage meat in the skillet and brown on both sides. Cut up in smaller pieces. Set aside.
5. In the same skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, brown the garlic, then add the broccoli rabe, some salt and cover for about 2 minutes.
Do not overcook the broccoli rabe, cut into smaller size pieces.
6. When the sausage meat and broccoli rabe are cooled, add both to the center and the length of the dough.
7. Add the mozzarella and the grating cheese and salt and pepper.
Remember, the cheese is salty and the hot sausage is spicy.
8. Fold the dough from one side over the sausage mixture and then from the other side, overlapping. Brush the egg white on the dough; it gives it a nice glow.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the bread is a nice golden color. When slightly cooled, slice and serve.
Happy holidays to you and your family! Enjoy your traditions and create new traditions. It makes your party/dinner fun, special and interesting. For other new recipes, check out my website: www.jvsimpatica.com
Love a sausage bread during the holidays or a special dinner. Loved by most!