Sausage and Mushrooms: The Secret to Tasty Mushrooms That Aren’t Greasy
Sausage and Mushrooms in a Pan is the perfect answer when the cold arrives. This recipe is quick, economical (even with frozen mushrooms), and incredibly versatile.
The common problem with this dish is twofold:
Insipid Mushrooms: Mushrooms, cooked separately, often do not absorb the flavor and remain bland.
Greasy Dish: The sausage releases a lot of fat, making the final dish too greasy and heavy.
I’ll reveal the secret for a dish with an intense flavor, not greasy, which you can serve as a main course or as a pasta sauce:
Aromatic Fat: You need to sear the sausage, remove it from the pan, and cook the mushrooms in the same released fat. This is crucial for the mushrooms to absorb all the aromas and not remain bland.
Controlled Fat: Before adding the mushrooms, if the sausage fat is excessive, remove some from the pan. This way, you control the final greasiness of the dish, keeping it tasty but not heavy.
In less than twenty minutes, you’ll have a dish that is a tribute to homemade cooking and its secrets, celebrating the rich taste of sausage and the earthy flavor of mushrooms.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 245.79 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 3.16 (g) of which sugars 1.94 (g)
- Proteins 13.92 (g)
- Fat 20.29 (g) of which saturated 0.04 (g)of which unsaturated 0.13 (g)
- Fibers 0.83 (g)
- Sodium 925.88 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOMS IN A PAN
The quantity of ingredients in this recipe is designed for a generous sauce for a main dish for 4 people. If instead you prefer to serve the sausage and mushrooms as a main course, I recommend recalculating the doses for each portion, slightly increasing them to obtain a single and substantial dish. To serve this dish as a main course for 4 people, I suggest these new quantities:
500 g mixed mushrooms (or porcini)
500 g sausage
- 10.58 oz mushrooms (porcini, champignon or mixed)
- 10.58 oz sausage
- to taste parsley
- 1 pinch black pepper
- to taste salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
Tools
- Food Scale
- Pan
Procedure SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOMS IN A PAN
Clean the mushrooms with a small knife to remove any soil residue, without washing them under running water so as not to lose flavor. Cut the larger ones into pieces and leave the smaller ones whole. Finely chop the fresh parsley.
Crumble the sausage and place it in a non-stick pan. Cook it over high heat for a few minutes, breaking it up well with a fork. If you wish, deglaze with white wine. When it is well browned and cooked, remove it from the pan and keep it aside in a bowl, leaving the released fat at the bottom.
In the same pan with the cooking fat, add the whole garlic clove (if using) and pour in the mushrooms. Mix well to flavor them, cover with a lid, and cook for 10-15 minutes. Midway through cooking, add a pinch of salt (be cautious because the sausage is already flavorful).
Once the mushrooms are cooked, remove the garlic. Add the sausage that you set aside, mix with a spoon, and season everything with a sprinkle of pepper and the freshly chopped parsley. At this point, you can decide how to serve it:
1) As a main course: serve it immediately while hot, accompanied by slices of toasted bread or soft polenta.
2) As a pasta sauce: pour the al dente cooked pasta directly into the pan, sauté it over high heat for a few seconds to flavor it.
Notes on Ingredients and Possible Substitutions
SAUSAGE The choice of sausage is fundamental: opt for a good quality one, which you can remove the casing from if you prefer.
MUSHROOMS For mushrooms, a mix of fresh mixed mushrooms is ideal, but porcini mushrooms (fresh or frozen) will give an even more intense flavor.
GARLIC AND WINE Garlic and white wine are optional but add complexity to the dish.
Storage
This dish is excellent fresh, but if you have leftovers, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days. To reheat, simply add a splash of water or broth and sauté in a pan for a few minutes.
Alternatives and Variants
Spicy Sausage and Mushrooms: add a pinch of chili powder or chili flakes together with the mushrooms.
With Cream or Cheese: for an even creamier sauce, add 2-3 tablespoons of fresh cream or some grated cheese (such as Parmesan) at the end of cooking.
Sausage and Vegetables: you can enrich the dish by adding other vegetables like zucchini, carrots, or peas along with the mushrooms.
Usage and Pairings
Sausage and mushrooms is the ideal dish for a midweek dinner or rustic lunch. If served as a main course, it pairs perfectly with a glass of young and lively red wine like a Barbera or Chianti.
Origins and History of the Recipe
Italian peasant cuisine is based on enhancing a few simple ingredients. This dish is born precisely from this philosophy: a way to combine two “treasures” of the territory, processed meat and seasonal mushrooms, in a recipe that has become a timeless classic in many Italian regions.
One Dish, Two Souls: For Pasta or as a Main Course?
The versatility of this recipe is its real strength. If you serve it as a main course, I suggest accompanying it with grilled polenta slices, roasted potatoes, or a side of leafy green vegetables. For the sauce, half sleeves or fusilli are shapes that hold the sauce well, but fresh tagliatelle are also a winning choice.
The Secret of the Flavor: Sausage Fat
Don’t throw away the fat that the sausage releases during cooking! It’s a true “liquid gold” that gives mushrooms an incredibly rich and deep flavor, making the use of other oil superfluous.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
1. Can I use frozen mushrooms?
Yes, you can use them, but put them directly in the pan without thawing, over high heat, to evaporate the excess water and achieve good cooking.
2. Can it be prepared in advance?
Yes, you can prepare sausage and mushrooms in advance and keep them in the refrigerator. Reheat them as needed and, if used for pasta, add a ladleful of cooking water to create a creamier sauce.
3. Can I add grated cheese?
Sure! If you use it to dress pasta, you can add grated Parmesan or Pecorino at the end of cooking to blend everything together.
