Get set for a mouthwatering journey to Sicily with this delicious Salsicce al Vino Rosso recipe! It features plump Italian-style pork sausages braised in Sicilian red wine, mingling with sweet onions and fragrant bay leaves. If you're up for adding some serious flavor to your kitchen adventures, stick around because this recipe is downright divine and guaranteed to leave you craving more!
What is Salsicce al Vino Rosso?
Salsicce al Vino Rosso, or sausages cooked in red wine, is a traditional Italian dish that originates from Sicily, an island region known for its rich culinary heritage. This dish typically consists of Italian-style pork sausages simmered in a robust red wine sauce with onions and aromatic herbs like bay leaves. While it's enjoyed year-round, it's often served during family gatherings, celebrations, or cozy Sunday lunches, bringing warmth and comfort to the table. Its hearty flavors and rustic charm make it a beloved dish for any occasion, reflecting the essence of Sicilian cuisine and the joy of shared meals with loved ones.
This was inspired by my Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta and pairs well with my Antipasti Zucchini.
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🌟 Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Authentic Sicilian Connection: This recipe embodies the rich culinary heritage of Sicily, offering a taste of tradition and a connection to my family roots.
- Nostalgic Comfort: It evokes cherished memories of family gatherings and shared meals, filling the kitchen with the aroma of home and the warmth of loved ones.
- Hidden Gem of Sicilian Cuisine: While not widely known, this recipe is a delicious discovery, showcasing the beauty of simple ingredients and the power of family traditions to create unforgettable flavors.
🥘 Ingredients
Each ingredient in Salsicce al Vino Rosso is carefully selected to enhance the dish's rich and savory flavors. Italian-style pork sausages provide heartiness, while yellow onions and bay leaves add sweetness and aroma. Nero d'Avola red wine, known for its robust character and regional ties to Sicily, elevates the dish with depth and authenticity.
- Fresh Italian-Style Pork Sausages - Quality is key, try to use fresh sauages that have fennel in them. To add fennel flavor you can also crush or grind some fennel seeds and sprinkle them over the sausages before baking.
- Yellow Onions
- Bay leaves - Break the bay leaves in half to release their flavor during cooking.
- Nero d'Avola or Similar Red Wine - Nero d'Avola is often recommended for dishes like Salsicce al Vino Rosso due to its flavor profile and regional association. But any good quality red will work.
See recipe card for quantities.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and prick the sausages with a knife.
Step 2: Arrange sausages, quartered onions, and bay leaves in an oven-safe dish.
Step 3: Pour simmered red wine over the sausages and onions, then bake for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Turn sausages, add more wine if needed, and bake for another 15-20 minutes until browned. Serve hot.
👩🏼🍳 Chef's Tip
- Prick the sausages before baking. It may seem simple, but this step is crucial to prevent the sausages from bursting during cooking. By pricking them with a paring knife, you allow steam to escape, ensuring that they cook evenly and retain their juiciness.
📖 Substitutions & Variations
- Sicilian Salsiccia: Sicilian salsiccia is a traditional pork sausage often seasoned with fennel seeds and other spices. It provides the same authentic flavor profile as Italian-style sausages, maintaining the dish's Sicilian roots.
- Sicilian Primitivo: Primitivo is another bold and fruity red wine native to Sicily, similar to Nero d'Avola in flavor profile. It offers richness and depth to the dish, enhancing its authenticity.
- Tropea Red Onions: Tropea red onions, native to Sicily, are sweet and mild, making them an excellent substitute for yellow onions in this recipe. They add a touch of sweetness to the dish while maintaining its authenticity.
🍴 Equipment
- Oven
- Oven-safe dish (oval or rectangular)
- Paring knife
- Small saucepan
- Tongs
- Measuring cup
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! While traditional Italian-style pork sausages flavored with fennel are commonly used, you can substitute with other types of sausages such as sweet or spicy Italian sausage, depending on your preference. Just ensure they are fresh and of good quality for best results.
Salsicce al Vino Rosso pairs well with a variety of side dishes such as creamy polenta, crusty bread, roasted vegetables, green salad, mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, and Italian antipasto. These options complement the hearty flavors of the dish and enhance the overall dining experience.
While Salsicce al Vino Rosso is best enjoyed fresh, you can prepare some components ahead of time to save time on the day of serving. You can prick the sausages, quarter the onions, and break the bay leaves in advance. Additionally, you can simmer the red wine and prep the oven-safe dish. However, it's recommended to bake the dish just before serving to ensure the sausages are tender and flavorful.
Simmering the wine before adding it to the dish serves several purposes. It helps to concentrate the flavors of the wine, reducing it to a more intense and flavorful sauce. Additionally, simmering the wine allows some of the alcohol content to evaporate, ensuring the dish isn't overly boozy. Finally, heating the wine beforehand helps to maintain the temperature consistency in the dish, ensuring even cooking of the sausages.
🥣 Storage & Reheating
Storage:
- Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. They will keep for up to 3 days.
Reheating:
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the sausages and onions in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and heat for about 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
- Stovetop: Place the sausages and onions in a skillet with a bit of leftover sauce or broth. Heat over medium-low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally.
- Microwave: Place the sausages and onions in a microwave-safe dish, cover loosely, and heat on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot.
Freezing:
- Freeze: Allow the sausages and onions to cool completely. Place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Defrost: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Follow the reheating instructions above after thawing.
🍷 Wine Pairing
This wine not only echoes the Sicilian roots of the dish but also complements its robust flavors. The bold fruity notes and hints of spice in Nero d'Avola harmonize beautifully with the savory sausages and rich red wine sauce, enhancing the overall dining experience.
👩🏼🍳 Top Tips
- Choose Quality Ingredients: Opt for fresh Italian-style pork sausages with a good fennel flavor, as well as high-quality red wine such as Nero d'Avola. Using fresh and flavorful ingredients will enhance the overall taste of the dish.
- Prick the Sausages: Before baking, be sure to prick each sausage in several places with a paring knife. This prevents the sausages from bursting while cooking and allows the flavors of the wine and herbs to penetrate the meat more effectively.
- Monitor Wine Reduction: Keep an eye on the wine reduction during baking. If the wine boils away too quickly, add more from the saucepan to prevent the dish from drying out. However, be sure to reheat the additional wine beforehand to maintain the temperature consistency in the dish.
🌿 Related Recipes
🥗 Pairing Recommendations
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating & comment below to let me know how it came out. Thanks for visiting!
📋 Recipe
Salsicce al Vino Rosso (Baked Sausages in Red Wine)
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Equipment
- Oven
- Oven-safe dish (oval or rectangular, just large enough to fit the sausages)
- Paring knife
- Small saucepan
- Tongs
- Measuring cup
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 fresh Italian-style pork sausages
- 6 to 8 small yellow onions quartered
- 6 to 8 bay leaves broken in half
- 2 cups Nero d'Avola or similar red wine
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Prepare the sausages: With the sharp point of a paring knife, prick each sausage in several places to prevent them from bursting while cooking.
- Arrange in the dish: Place the sausages in an oval or rectangular oven dish in which they will just fit. Tuck the quartered onions and bay leaves around the sausages.
- Simmer the wine: In a small saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer on top of the stove.
- Add the wine: Pour about two-thirds of the simmered wine over and around the sausages.
- Bake in the oven: Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- Turn sausages and onions: After 30 minutes, use tongs to turn the sausages and onions over.
- Add more wine if necessary: If the wine boils away before the sausages are done, add more from the saucepan, first reheating it so it doesn't lower the temperature of the sausages.
- Continue baking: Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the wine sauce has reduced considerably and the sausages are brown.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. They will keep for up to 3 days.
- Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the sausages and onions in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and heat for about 15-20 minutes or until warmed through.
- Stovetop: Place the sausages and onions in a skillet with a bit of leftover sauce or broth. Heat over medium-low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally.
- Microwave: Place the sausages and onions in a microwave-safe dish, cover loosely, and heat on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot.
- Freeze: Allow the sausages and onions to cool completely. Place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible. They can be frozen for up to 2 months.
- Defrost: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat: Follow the reheating instructions above after thawing.
🌡️ Food safety
- Pork - Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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