Italian sausage is a course-ground pork sausage that typically comes in two styles. Sweet Italian sausage makes use of fennel to create a subtle, licorice-like flavor, while hot Italian sausage is spiced with crushed red pepper, garlic and other robust seasonings. Look for hot Italian sausage by the pound or in links. Slice open the casings to use linked sausage for meatballs and other recipes.
Step 1
Crack the egg into a mixing bowl and whisk it. Add the milk and bread crumbs and mix gently. Allow the mixture to sit for approximately 5 minutes, until the bread crumbs absorb the milk.
Step 2
Add the seasonings to the bread crumb mixture and stir.
Step 3
Mix in the sausage with your hands. Handle the meat gently, folding it into the other ingredients until they are well incorporated; do not overmix.
Step 4
Spray a tight-grid baking rack with cooking oil, and place the rack on a baking sheet. Form golf-ball-size meatballs and position them on the rack. Place the sheet in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5
Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the center of the meatballs feels firm when pressed with your finger. Make sure that the meatballs are done by inserting a meat thermometer into one of them. The temperature should be at least 145 F. Serve while hot.
Tips and Warnings
- If meatballs made from sausage are too rich for your diet, replace a portion of the sausage with lean ground beef, ground chicken or ground turkey. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, garlic salt and black pepper to enhance the flavor of the leaner meat. Add crushed red pepper flakes to sweet Italian sausage to create a flavorful substitute for hot Italian sausage. If serving the meatballs with a pasta sauce, be sure to make extra sauce. Meatballs can absorb the liquids from your sauce and leave the pasta dry. Meatballs that will be simmered in a sauce should be seared before baking to prevent them from crumbling in hot liquid. If you do sear the meatballs, reduce baking time by approximately 15 minutes.
- Always follow the USDA's recommendations for cooking all pork products.
Things You'll Need
- Mixing bowl
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesean cheese
- 1 minced clove of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage
- Cooking sheet with sides
- Spray cooking oil
- Meat thermometer
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