Wake up your appetite with Italian Sausage recipe ideas that will inspire you to get out the cloth napkins, decorate your table with a holiday center piece, and put on a little music!

There are oodles of fresh recipe ideas for Italian Sausage including soups, pastas, salads, pizzas, sandwiches and more. Are you trying to figure out how to make Italian Sausage at home? Looking for the right spices and seasoning? Maybe you are looking for fabulous recipes that include Italian sausage? Tie on your apron and pass the Chianti as we explore the culinary world of Italian Sausage.

What Makes Sausage “Italian”?

Italian Sausage is generally made with ground pork and spices like fennel, anise, and red pepper.

Italian Sausage can be sweet (mild) or spicy. To make it spicy, more chili pepper is added. Some add parsley to it also.

You would think with it being Italian, it would always have garlic but that is not the case. Depending on who you ask, some people believe garlic is an authentic Italian sausage seasoning and some do not. I say go with what you like!

Choosing the Right Spices for Your Italian Sausage

When making Italian Sausage from scratch, choosing the right spices is essential. First you need to determine if you want to make mild (sweet sausage) or hot Italian Sausage. Or, you can always divide it and make it half and half. You can blend your own seasonings following a recipe or you can get an artisan sausage spice mix like one of Crown National's sausage seasoning packs.

I suggest tasting a little sample of the spice blend prior to mixing it in the sausage. That way you can determine if you need a little more heat or maybe you want to add some fennel or parsley to give it your own unique signature flavor.

Homemade Italian Sausage is a great gift idea for Christmas, birthdays, or Father’s Day! It freezes well and can be wrapped with a big red ribbon. Include a bottle of Jimmy’s Steak Sauce for a thoughtful, gourmet gift.

Our Favorite Italian Sausage Recipe

Italian Sausage has such a distinctly delicious flavor and tastes the best when it is homemade. We recommend this Italian Sausage recipe. It has been carefully crafted, taste-tested, and approved.

Here are the ingredients for our favorite Italian Sausage Recipe:

• 3 pounds of pork butt cut into small pieces (1/2 inch)
• 3 tablespoons of red wine
• 2 tablespoons of Crown National's Sausage Seasoning
• 2 diced/ minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley
• 1-2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper (Optional)
• Plastic wrap
• Freezer Bags
• Black Permanent Marker

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork, wine, sausage seasoning, garlic, fennel seeds and parsley and cover. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Once it has chilled for 24 hours, split divide the meat mixture in two sections. Here is where you can make ½ the batch hotter if you want half sweet and half hot. Using a food processor, process the first ½ until the pork is finely ground. Set aside. Place the other half in the food processor and repeat.

Divide batch 1 into 3 and form into log shapes and wrap with plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Repeat process with batch 2. Using a black permanent marker, label and date the sausage. It can be stored in freezer for up to 3 months.

Here is a tip: if it is your first time making the sausage using this recipe, taste the spice mix prior to mixing it in with the meet to see if you prefer a little more fennel or heat.

Italian Turkey Sausage Recipe

If you are making traditional Italian Sausage, the typical ingredients include ground pork (usually pork butt), fennel, salt, pepper, paprika, anise, cayenne (if you are making it hot), and pork casings.

Some recipes also include parsley, garlic, and red or white wine. Another way to make Italian Sausage is to use ground turkey. This recipe goes well with other breakfast foods like scrambled eggs and homemade buttermilk biscuits.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground turkey
• 2 Tablespoons of seasoning such as Crown National's Sausage Seasoning
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
• Hot Sauce (to taste)

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and cover. Leave in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours (no longer). If it is longer, I would put it in the freezer to be safe.

When you are ready to cook, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Pinch off a piece of sausage and form it into a thin patty. Continue this process until you have made patties using all of the meat. Cook in the pan for 2-5 minutes on each side or until the meat is brown and cooked through.

Italian Sausage Recipe Directions

We all love a scrumptious Italian recipe like Italian Sausage with Pasta but sometimes we are looking to change things up.

If you are looking for a delicious low carb Italian dish that doesn’t make you feel like you are missing out, replace the pasta with low carb zoodles! Zoodles are actually zucchini cut in the shape of noodles and make a wonderful, low carb substitute for noodles.

Not only are you saving on carbs, you are also saving on calories and getting a nutritious dose of vegetables at the same time (plus, they're delicious)!

What to Serve with Your Italian Sausage

Ciao! Welcome to my kitchen. Italian Sausage is a versatile addition to any meal. It can be served a la carte - standing on its own as a meat with fresh veggies and a side salad.

You can incorporate it in a breakfast inside of an omelet, next to scrambled eggs, with a side of fresh fruit, sautéed with potatoes and onions or use it to make sausage biscuits.

For lunch time, you can use it to create a simple meal of sausage dogs and potato chips.

Need some dinner ideas? Baked ziti with Italian Sausage, Italian Sausage and Chicken Alfredo or a spicy Italian soup with roasted red tomatoes, white kidney beans and Italian Sausage.

No matter how you choose to prepare your sausage, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!