Sausage in Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce
Salsicce in Agrodolce
Region: Italy
Category: Sausage, Grilled Sausage, Mixed
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy

This Sicilian-inspired sausage preparation is in agrodolce which means sweet and sour achieved by the combination of vinegar and sugar.  It's a straightforward, easy, recipe that could be served over spaghetti in which case it will serve four, but I prefer it as in the photo, simple, perhaps with a sliced of toasted Italian bread. The recipe is written for the dish to cook quickly. If you like, you can slow everything down and simmer over low heat, covered, for a longer time.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time: 35 minutes

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, lightly crushed and split in half

1 pound mild Italian sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 cups tomato sauce or purée

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup loosely-packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1/2 cup tiny diced caciocavallo or sharp provolone cheese

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the vinegar.  In a large, deep stove-top casserole, heat the olive oil with the garlic clove over medium-high heat until sizzling, then brown the sausage on all sides, about 6 minutes.  Pour in the vinegar mixture and stir until it evaporates, about 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the tomato sauce, salt, and pepper and stir.  Increase the heat to high and cook until dense, stirring constantly, about 8 to 9 minutes.  The sauce will sputter quite a bit, so you may want to keep the casserole partially, but not completely, covered.  Add the mint, stirring it in for 1 minute.  Turn the heat off.  Stir in the caciocavallo cheese and let rest for 10 minutes, then serve.

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Posted: 12/29/2006