Hot Italian Pork Sausage and Brussels Sprouts

We've adapted yet another delicious Blue Apron recipe. This one was definitely from a few years ago and I've kept it handy.

This time I made my own Italian sausage using a combination of recipes I found online. I've been grinding my own pork for Asian recipes and freezing it in 8 - 16 ounce portions. You can sometimes find a great buy on a family package of boneless pork chops and grinding it yourself is sometimes easier than trying to find it on the supermarket meat counter.

This time I added the seasonings in with the last few strips of pork and then mixed it well before freezing. I used 3 T of this mixture for 1-1/5 pounds of pork and it was perfect. Add more red pepper flakes if you like it really hot. 

You can keep the Italian sausage seasoning in a jar on the spice shelf as long as you haven't used fresh herbs, or freshly chopped onion or garlic). I mixed all these dried seasoning together and chopped them in a small grinder or food processor to make them incorporate (and not have the heavier spices fall to the bottom.)

Sausage seasoning

• 2 tsp. dried parsley
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1-1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
• 2 tsp. minced garlic (dried)
• 1 tsp. minced onion (dried)

Pasta and vegetables

• 10 oz. hot Italian pork sausage
• 1/2 pound of pasta such as bucatini (when cooked, before draining, save 1-1/2 cups pasta water)
• 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4-8 oz. Brussels sprouts, ends removed, halved and sliced
• 1 T. cider vinegar (or flavored as you choose)
• 2-4 T. mascarpone cheese
• Grated parmesan to garnish as you desire

First, cook 1/2 pound of bucatini or like pasta, in boiling, salted water to al dente or desired minutes. (When done, save 1-1/2 cups of pasta water.)  At the same time, heat a few T of olive oil in a skillet. Brown 10 oz. of the hot sausage in the oil for a few minutes and then add 6-8 oz of sliced Brussels sprouts, the onion and garlic. Add 1 T apple cider vinegar (I used Honey-Ginger vinegar).

When pasta is cooked, drain and add it to the skillet with 1-1.2 cup of the reserved pasta water and 4 T mascarpone cheese.  Mix well and place in pasta bowls. Top with grated parmesan cheese.