If you are a meat eater, I bet sausage is one of your favourite things to eat. Luckily, Italian salsiccia is very versatile and can be used to make appetizers, pasta dishes, main courses and comfort meals. That’s exactly what today’s meal happens to be.. a comfort meal that you can enjoy for brunch, lunch or dinner.
What to expect: This sausage sandwich with cheese it’s like a hug with a little punch. Sandwiches are comfort food, so eating them always feels like eating something comforting and delicious. This one is also a little hot and spicy. Did I forget to mention that it has cheese which you can melt under the grill?
Let’s make it.
Who is this sausage sandwich for?
It’s for you if you like this delicious meat, bread, cheese, and classic flavours.
It’s for you if you like your food to be a little hot, but if you don’t just skip the chilli flakes.
It’s perfect both if you are making this for one person, or many. If you are making it for more people, simply double or triple the ingredients.
It’s a great one to make for appetizers. In that case, use mini rustic rolls like mini ciabatta sandwich rolls.
It’s also great if you are hosting a brunch, as it will be something your guests probably never tasted before.
Secret ingredient to make a mean sausage sandwich
You’ll see in a minute that this Italian salsiccia sandwich includes very few and simple ingredients, except for one, which is what makes it so uniquely delicious.
I am referring to Belmorso Turnip Tops, a delicacy from Puglia, well known for the popular Orecchiette pasta dish featuring it. However, there’s so much more you can make with Turnip Tops, including this delicious Italian panino.
How to make Sausage Sandwich Apulian style
The main steps to make it are:
Prep the ingredients
Make the filling
Assemble the sandwich
Grilling the sandwich – optional but suggested
The full sandwich recipe follows. You can read it on your screen or print it out.
Make sure you are using a high quality EVOO to cook your salsiccia meat filling.
This sausage sandwich with cheese it's like a hug with a little punch. Sandwiches are comfort food, so eating them always feels like eating something comforting and delicious. This one is also a little hot and spicy.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword meat sandwich, salsiccia, turnip tops
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 1large sandwich, ideally shared
Calories 800kcal
Author Alessia
Cost €7
Equipment
1 pan to make the filling
1 oven dish for grilling at the end
Ingredients
1Rustic bread roll with a holeor other farm-style homemade bread
2Italian sausages
2garlic cloves
1tbspBelmorso Extra Virgin Olive Oil
120grBelmorso Cime di Rapaturnip tops
chilli flakesoptional
5slicesProvolone cheese
Instructions
Take out all the ingredients and lay them on your counter.
1 Rustic bread roll with a hole, 2 Italian sausages, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp Belmorso Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 120 gr Belmorso Cime di Rapa, chilli flakes, 5 slices Provolone cheese
Remove the skin from the sausages and break into small pieces, using your hands or a fork.
Peel and chop the garlic
Add the garlic, 1 tablespoon EVOO and the salsiccia meat into a pan and cook until brown.
Open the Belmorso turnip tops jar, and spoon the amount indicated into a bowl.
Add half of the turnip tops to the pan with the meat and mix. Leave to cook for 3 to 5 more minutes. Then, take the sausage filling off the heat.
Cut open your sandwich bread.
Fill the lower half of the sandwich with the cooked sausage filling.
Add the remaining half of the turnip tops on top of the meat filling.
Add a few chilli flakes if you like a little extra heat.
Finish the sausage sandwich with the slices of provolone cheese, and cover with the other half of the bread.
Grill in the oven for a few minutes so the cheese melts and the bread becomes crunchy.
Cut in half and enjoy.
Video
How to pair this Sausage Sandwich
I’d suggest enjoying this on its own the first time you make it. If you are looking for sandwich sides try one of these Italian salads.
If you want to make it as an appetizer for a party you are hosting, it would pair well with this antipasti platter. Simply, replace the other sandwiches with this one. You can use mini rolls, or slice the large sandwich into smaller pieces.
Common questions about sausages, sandwiches, and turnip tops (aka broccoli rabe)
What goes well with Italian sausage?
Turnip tops or broccoli rabe are a great vegetable to pair with Italian sausage. You can enjoy both in a sandwich, a pie, or use them to make pasta.
What kind of cheese goes with Italian sausage?
Italian sausage pairs incredibly well with many cheeses, such as provolone, blue cheese, emmenthal, fontina, parmesan, and also mozzarella. Avoid very salty cheeses like seasoned pecorino, as sausage is already salty.
What do you eat with Italian sausages?
You can eat a salad with grilled or pan fried sausages. You eat them raw with bread, cheeses, salads, and antipasti vegetables. You can also eat Italian sausages in pasta, inside pies and sandwiches.
What are the different types of Italian sausages?
There are many different types of Italian sausages, ranging from regular to spicy, as well as cheesy. Italian sausages can also be distinguished into fresh, that can be eaten raw or cooked, and seasoned. The latter can be enjoyed with bread, antipasti, and in sandwiches like salami. Did you know that almost every Italian region has its own sausage recipe?
Can you eat Italian sausage raw?
Yes you can eat both fresh and seasoned Italian sausage raw. If you are eating fresh sausage, just make sure it's extremely fresh and sourced from a trusted butcher.
What type of bread is best for sausage sandwiches?
For a rich artisan Italian sausage sandwich we suggest a rustic bread like ciabatta or another farm bread.
What does ciabatta bread get its name from?
Ciabatta bread resembles the shape of a ciabatta, which in Italian means a slipper shoe. That's exactly why this bread is called ciabatta.
What does ciabatta bread taste like?
Real ciabatta bread has a very artisan taste, with a floury and crusty texture that's also light and airy because of the high liquid content.
What does broccoli rabe taste like?
Broccoli rabe, also known as turnip tops or rapini, have a slightly bitter taste that marries well with spices, especially chilli, garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
What is broccoli rabe also called?
Broccoli rabe is also called turnip greens, with its tops being called turnip tops, and rapini. In Italian, they are called cime di rapa.
If you have any recipe request, make sure to leave it in the comments. Also, feel free to share your favourite sausage recipe. Please, don’t forget to rate this recipe if you like it.