Tuscan Sausage

Name: Tuscan Sausage
Yield: makes 1 pound
Ingredients: 14 ounces ground pork; 2 ounces salt pork, fat part only, minced; 1/4 cup finely chopped unseasoned olive oil–packed sun-dried tomatoes; 1/3 cup lightly packed coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 2 ounces); 1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed; 3 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves; 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, if needed

January 24, 2012

There’s almost no turn in Tuscany that doesn’t provide some sensory joy. Driving its curvy roads through low hills gently swelling up from narrow, verdant valleys, you discover olive groves that produce some of the world’s finest olive oil and vineyards that yield some of the world’s most renowned wines. Exploring the region’s old towns and cities on foot, you wind your way through dozens of museums full of famous artworks and wander into back-alley churches and quaint shops stacked with Tuscan treasures. And everywhere, there is fabulous food. The Tuscans have long produced delicious salumi, that special form of pork cookery, called charcuterie in France, that comprises prosciutto, mortadella, soppressata, salamis and other cured meats, along with fresh sausages particular to the region. In this recipe, sundried tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella flavor fresh pork sausage to deliver the taste of Tuscany.

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