It's Italian Night!

Italian Meatballs
Easy Sausage Pizza
Italian Sausage Rigatoni


(Family Features) - Turn a boring weeknight meal into an Italian feast your whole family will truly appreciate.

Continued below...



Italian Sausage Rigatoni - Sausage and peppers are a classic Italian combination. Rigatoni is the perfect pasta for this dish because chunky sauces can cling to the ridges on the tasty tubes. Try some steamed veggies and savory garlic toast to round out this great meal.

Italian Meatballs - Why settle for meatballs flavored only by the sauce? Made with Johnsonville Italian Sausage, these meatballs are full of flavor all on their own. Add some crusty Italian bread and a green salad, and you have a hearty dinner for six in less than an hour.

Easy Sausage Pizza - A ready-made crust makes this pizza creation a breeze. Have fun with your toppings - in addition to slices of Italian sausage, try different veggie combinations and experiment with zesty cheeses.
For more ways to turn your weekly pasta night into "Thank You" night, visit www.johnsonville.com.

As Easy as 1-2-3

Can't find Johnsonville Ground Italian Sausage at your local grocery retailer? Not to worry! De-casing Italian Sausage links is an easy alternative. After you've removed the meat from the sausage link, you're ready to brown it just like you would any other ground meat.

De-Casing Sausage Made Easy

CUT - Butterfly the link lengthwise using a sharp knife.






OPEN - Turn the link over so the casing is facing up.






PEEL - Grab the casing from the top of the sausage and pull casing away in one motion.





COOK - Brown the ground sausage just as you would any ground meat.





Want to skip this step? Look for Johnsonville Ground Italian Sausage. For more crowd-pleasing recipes, visit www.johnsonville.com.

Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 1/4 cup milk
  
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  
• 1 package (19.76 ounces) Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage Links

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, milk and onion.
   
3. Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to bread crumb mixture and mix well.
   
4. Shape into 20 meatballs. Arrange meatballs on a shallow baking pan.
   
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through (160°F). Serve with your favorite sauce and pasta.

Serves
6 servings


Preparation Time:
25 minutes
Cook Time:
20 minutes

Easy Sausage Pizza

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Johnsonville Italian Sausage Links
  
• 1 cup pizza sauce
  
• 1 pre-baked Italian bread shell crust (12 inches)
  
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper

Preparation

1. Cook Italian sausage links per package directions. Coin slice and reserve.
   
2. Spread sauce over crust; sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
   
3. Add sausage slices and green pepper. Top with the remaining cheese.
   
4. Bake according to crust package directions and until cheese is melted.

Serves
4 servings
Notes, Tips & Suggestions
Options: additional toppings such as onions, mushrooms or olives may be added. Try pepper jack cheese instead of mozzarella for a little extra kick.

Preparation Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
30 minutes

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

Ingredients

• 1 package (19.76 ounces) Johnsonville Italian Mild Sausage Links
  
• 1 package (16 ounces) rigatoni pasta
  
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 large red pepper, chunked
  
• 1 jar (26 ounces) of your favorite pasta sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Preparation

1. Cook sausage according to package directions and cut into coin slices. Keep warm. Cook rigatoni according to directions. Keep warm.
   
2. In a large pan, place olive oil and garlic, sauté lightly for 30 seconds. Add peppers and cook until crisp tender.
   
3. Combine cooked sausage and pasta sauce with peppers and heat until warm. Mix with the cooked pasta or serve separately. Top with fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Serves
5 servings


Preparation Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes

SOURCE:
Johnsonville