Like most people that love food, I am a cookbook junkie. Not so much the big cookbooks filled with fotos, but rather the small collections of recipes, written by women that are not professional cooks or the typical church fundraising cookbooks, filled with classic local favorites.
I am much more interested in tried and true recipes than new experiments.
One of my paperback books I adore is by a winemaker, Donatella Cinelli Columbini, in Montalcino called Ricettario di Monte Oliveto e Trequanda nelle Crete Senese.
I was inspired by her recipe to recreate my own version.
I like to simplify when possible. Her version mixes chopped onions into the sausage mixture and deglazes at the end of the cooking time with red wine.
In Tuscany, I get incredibly wonderful sausage, which is not too fatty and lightly seasoned with salt and garlic. Fennel sausage would also be good as would a nice spicy sausage.
Take a ball of radicchio and open the leaves like petals.
Remove the skin from the sausage and stuff small pinches between the petals.
Place in a pan for roasting and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake at 350 degrees until the sausage is cooked, about 20 minutes.
The radicchio leaves with turn dark around the outside edges.
Remove and drizzle with balsamic vinegar to serve.
I have also take the leaves and rolled them around sausage to bake for a party finger food version.
Cooking the radicchio makes it milder and pairing with pork is always a good idea!
Enjoy!
Great winter dish Judy!
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Love this!!!
This is too cool! Thanks, Judy.
I hope your Christmas was wonderful, and I wish you a very happy new year, amica.
Wow, this sounds incredible. A must try!
Tried it over the weekend. It was fabulous!
Great Frank!!! it is a favorite in our house!! and so easy
I took a class with you 8 years ago and still make the recipes I learned from you. At that time, I was a disgruntled corporate lawyer without kids and now I’m a happy caterer and food blogger (the latter is a newer development, but an exciting one) with three boys! I’ve been following you since I took the class and you’ve been a constant source of inspiration in the kitchen and in the goals that I have for my new career. Loved this recipe as I love so many others. Thought it was time to say grazie.
WOW– congrats– what a change! am happy for you
Thank you….really. Your blog posts landing in my inbox were a constant reminder about staying (or in my case, becoming) true to myself. After I quit my job, I began spending six weeks every summer in my father’s native Abruzzo (in a village within the Parco Nazionale della Majella) and really throw myself into life there. I would love to be in a position to lead culinary vacations in that area in a year or two. I know you’re a busy lady (to say the least!)…would love to pick your brain about a few things one of these days if you’re willing. All the best and grazie ancora. Ciao, Michelle
feel free to email me
Hmmm:) good dish. I will definitely cook it for my family.