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Italian sausage and seafood sauce

This sauce was inspired by one of my favourite soups: Spicy Clam and Sausage. I had some hot Italian sausage, salad shrimp and pasta leftover from various meals so I decided to use the soup ingredients for a pasta sauce. Nick made the recipe and it’s delicious! Updated Jan 2022.

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Italian Sausage and Shrimp Sauce

This sauce was inspired by my Sausage and Clam soup recipe. You can change up the type of sausage and seafood to your liking. Cajun with andouille and crawfish would be great!
Course Sauce
Cuisine Italian
Keyword italian sausage sauce, red sauce, sausage and clam sauce
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author misangela

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbl EVOO
  • 2-3 links Hot Italian sausage, remove casing, crumble adjust amount to your taste; sub mild or another type of sausage about 6-8oz
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp
  • 2 Tbl shallots, finely minced one large or two small
  • 4 oz cremini mushrooms, diced about half a small package
  • 2/3 cup red pepper, small dice about 1/2 pepper, roasted pepper is GREAT here
  • 1 tsp dry basil dry is best here
  • 1 tsp anchovy paste optional, but adds umami
  • 1 Tbl tomato paste
  • 1 Tbl flour any type is fine
  • 1 Tbl butter
  • 1 cup diced or crushed tomatoes about half a 14 oz can
  • 1/4 cup mirin optional
  • 1/2 cup red or white wine if you skip, use chicken stock instead
  • 1 cup salad shrimp (tiny, usually frozen) or 1.5 cups small peeled shrimp
  • 1/2 lemon, zest and juice
  • 1 Tbl capers
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • S/P to taste
  • fresh basil, chiffonade optional
  • 4 portions cooked pasta to serve sauce on I prefer Barilla pasta

Instructions

  • Do your mise en place and veg prep first.
  • In a 2-4qt sauce pan over medium heat, add EVOO and sausage; sauté a couple of minutes.
  • Add garlic, shallots, creminis and red pepper. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
  • Add basil, anchovy paste, tomato paste, butter and flour. Raise heat just a little, stirring constantly. This is to make a roux and cook out the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add lemon zest, tomatoes, mirin and wine. Bring to simmer.
  • Turn off heat and add capers and lemon juice. Check S/P levels.
  • Stir in cream to your preferred thickness. Check S/P again.
  • Serve over pasta with fresh basil.

Notes

Image Credit: allrecipes.com 
This sauce base can be used for any meat/seafood combo and flavour profile you like. Here are a couple of examples:
Cajun - use andouille and crawfish with Cajun seasoning (skip anchovy paste)
Spanish - use merguez and shrimp, add olives and use oregano rather than basil
The options are endless! 
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Nick’s Chicken Piccata

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Nick's Chicken Piccata

This is Nick's version of chicken piccata. It is more like a schnitzel since the chicken is breaded. If you prefer a more traditional piccata, just dust the chicken in flour and sauté rather than bread it.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword breaded chicken piccata, chicken, chicken piccata
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Author misangela

Ingredients

  • 4 thinly sliced chicken breast slices 2 butterflied breasts
  • 1 egg + 2 Tbl water whisked together in shallow dish for wash
  • 1 Cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 Cup A/P flour
  • 1/4 Cup corn starch Mix together flour and corn starch
  • ½ Cup ground parmesano reggiano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oregano, dried sub marjoram for a lighter taste
  • 1 tsp basil, dried
  • ½ tsp sweet or smoked paprika
  • 2 lemons, zest and juice in separate bowls
  • 2 Tbl capers with brine
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbl butter, salted
  • olive oil as needed
  • ½ Cup chicken stock
  • 3/4 Cup white wine
  • 1 Tbl corn starch mixed with water or stock thickener
  • chopped parsley garnish
  • dash of sugar, if needed if sauce is too acidic
  • orzo, cooked as package directs any short pasta, but orzo is excellent
  • 1 tsp butter
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • chopped parsley and/or basil for garnish

Instructions

  • Do all your veg and ingredient prep first. Mise en place will greatly enhance your cooking efficiency.
  • Start the pasta water. Add plenty of salt - pasta water should taste like the ocean.
  • If you did not do this first, put the egg and water in a shallow dish and whisk. Add a splash of the fresh lemon juice to this wash.
  • Combine flour + cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt, oregano, basil and paprika in second shallow dish.
  • Combine parmesan and panko in third shallow dish.
  • Heat a large skillet over med hi heat with a thin layer of olive oil in the bottom.
  • Dip each breast filet into the flour + cornstarch and shake off excess. Then dip in egg wash, then press into the panko mixture to get good adhesion. Gently add breaded chicken to the pan and do not crowd the pan - cook in batches.
  • Cook approximately 5 minutes on the first side, until it is golden brown and the edges of chicken are cooked. Moderate the heat if the breading is cooking too fast. You want a nice sizzle, but a fairly slow cook. Turn the filets once and cook another 3 minutes or so. When golden brown, move to paper towels to drain.
  • Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. In the same pan, add butter and a splash of olive oil over medium heat.
  • Add garlic and cook gently until translucent. Add lemon zest and stir for one minute. RESERVE one TSP of zest for orzo.
  • Add chicken stock, wine and capers and bring to a simmer. Add lemon juice and simmer for another minute.
  • Add cornstarch slurry and bring to a boil for one minute. If the sauce is too tight, thin with stock. It should be a slightly thin sauce, not thick like gravy.
  • Check seasoning, add salt or sugar as needed.
  • Add butter and lemon zest to drained orzo.
  • Serve over pasta with remaining sauce over chicken. Garnish with parsley and a bit more parmesan.

Notes

Serve this with the same wine you used in the sauce. 
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Layered Shrimp Dip

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Layered Shrimp Dip

This is a great party dip! You can add crab to this for even more seafood goodness.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword party dip, seafood, shrimp dip
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Author misangela

Equipment

  • Glass pie plate or other rimmed glass dish

Ingredients

  • 8 oz whipped cream cheese whipped makes for a lighter, more consistent dish
  • ½ Cup mayonnaise optional if you don't like mayo
  • ½ Cup sour cream a little more if you skip mayo
  • ½ Cup cocktail sauce
  • 2 Cup finely shredded cheddar or cheddar jack cheese
  • 1 pound salad shrimp, cooked and thoroughly drained cooked in liquid Old Bay (or Zatarains) with 1 tsp salt (do not use powdered boil mix)
  • Old Bay liquid boil OR Zatarain's
  • Old Bay powder to taste
  • 3 roma tomatoes seeded, diced small, salted
  • Frank's Hot Sauce or whatever you like
  • 4 scallions finely sliced on the bias
  • 2 Tbl fresh dill, minced (use half if dried herb) OR substitute cilantro or parsley if you prefer

Instructions

  • Gather all your ingredients and prep anything that needs to be cut up before you start cooking. Mise en place will make your cooking experience much more efficient.
  • Blend together cream cheese, mayo and sour cream until smooth. Spread on the bottom of pie plate. Sprinkle with Old Bay.
  • Spread cocktail sauce over the cream cheese layer.
  • Add shrimp on top of cocktail sauce. Sprinkle with Old Bay and dot with Frank's.
  • Add cheese over shrimp.
  • STOP HERE if you are holding this dip more than a couple of hours for service. You can hold for up to a day in the fridge. If you add the tomatoes too early, the dip will be soggy.
  • Add tomatoes, scallions and dill for service.
  • Serve with a cracker selection.
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Chipotle Shrimp Cups

Chipotle Shrimp Cups
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Angela's Chipotle Shrimp Cups

These are a party favourite! I found the recipe years ago in the newspaper and have refined it to suit my taste. The original recipe is from Cooking LIght, my recipe is more flavourful and less light!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword party appetizers, shrimp appetizers
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 40 pieces
Author misangela

Equipment

  • mini muffin tins
  • gallon sized plastic bag or piping bag

Ingredients

  • 1 50ct wonton wrappers round ones if you can get them

Filling for Cups

  • 1 ½ pound salad shrimp fresh or frozen is fine, thaw if frozen and drain thoroughly
  • 1/3 cup crab boil I use liquid boil, use what you like
  • 1 ½ cup finely shredded cheese I like mexican blend, use what you like
  • 1 cup whipped cream cheese room temp
  • ½ cup jarred roasted red peppers diced
  • 1 cup salsa any red salsa is fine
  • 2 Tbl chipotles in adobo finely diced, with adobo
  • Salt to taste
  • 8 scallions finely sliced for garnish
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped for garnish

Instructions

  • This is a two part recipe: cups and filling. You can bake off the cups in advance if you like. Do all your prep in advance of cooking. Mise en place will make your cooking go much smoother. Read the notes about holding these appetizers.

Making the Cups

  • First, thaw the wontons if frozen. Spray mini muffin tins with food release (Pam). Tuck the wontons into the muffin tin to make little cups. Bake them off at 350°F until lightly browned. Do not turn your back on these! They burn in a heartbeat. (If you prefer, you can substitute little phyllo tart shells for the wonton cups. They will need to be baked off before you fill them, just as the wonton cups.)

Making the Filling

  • In a 2 qt saucepan, put in shrimp and cover with water. Bring to a boil and add crab boil. Cook a couple of minutes until shrimp are opaque. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside and allow to drain.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, shredded cheese, peppers, salsa and chipotles. Mix gently. Add shrimp and fold in gently. Adjust the salsa amount to give you a thick paste (think thick icing). Fold in half the scallions and herbs, set aside the rest for garnish. Filling should be just a little saltier than you think it should be. Trust me. Refrigerate the filling at least half an hour before using.
  • The appetizer can be held until service unassembled. Just refrigerate the filling and garnishes and keep the cups at room temp.
  • When it's time for service, use the muffin tins to hold the wonton cups so they'll stay upright easier. If you use the phyllo cups, line them up on a baking sheet. Cut the corner off the plastic bag (about 3/4 of an inch up) so you can pipe the filling into the cups. Fill the cups about 3/4. Bake off at 375°F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and hot. Garnish with reserved scallions and parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

These appetizers WILL NOT HOLD. They get soggy. So assemble and cook immediately prior to service.  They will not be around long enough to get soggy once they are served, they are a big hit at parties. 
This recipe will make from 40 - 50 pieces, it just depends on how you fill. This is enough for about a dozen people. If you're having a big party, you'll need to double this recipe. Count on 4 per person. They are THAT popular! 
Photo credit: Holly Clegg via myrecipes.com 
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Spicy Clam and Sausage Soup

clam_sausage_soup
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Angela's Spicy Clam and Sausage Soup

This is an old recipe of mine that is a go-to for me. Sometimes I use andouille sausage for a really spicy dish! I've tweaked it over the years. I'm converting this in Nov 2019, the original recipe was posted in 2007, so I can promise you, this is a really great soup!
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian, Mexican, Spanish
Keyword andouille, chorizo, clam and sausage soup, italian clam and sausage soup, italian sausage, spicy clam and sausage soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6
Author misangela

Equipment

  • 6-8 Qt stock pot

Ingredients

  • 3 stalks celery ½ in slices
  • 2 carrots thinly sliced
  • 1 med white onion ¼ inch dice
  • 1 leek thinly sliced white only [OPTIONAL but recommended]
  • 5 cloves garlic minced; use more if you like
  • 1 pint cremini mushrooms small container, sliced
  • 1 pound Italian Sausage Sweet or Spicy, removed from casings (OR andouille)
  • olive oil
  • 2 Tbl butter, salted
  • 2 Tbl tomato paste Use the kind in the tube
  • 2 Tbl flour for roux to thicken
  • 3 cups seafood stock (shrimp shells make great stock!) OR water with 2 bouillon cubes in a pinch
  • 1 14oz can baby clams with juice or two small cans
  • 1 14oz can san marzano tomatoes diced or crushed (or crush the whole ones)
  • ½ cup sherry sub white wine
  • ½ tsp dry thyme
  • ½ tsp dry oregano
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • ½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 1 lemon zest and juice
  • S/P to taste
  • Grated Parmesano Reggiano garnish

Instructions

  • Prep all the ingredients before you start cooking. Mise en place will greatly improve your cooking experience.
  • In a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. When butter is melted, add in celery, carrots, onions, leeks and garlic. Sweat until soft and translucent. Add in all the dried herbs.
  • Turn up heat to medium high and add mushrooms. Stir to release the water from the mushrooms and keep other veg from overcooking. When mushrooms have wilted, add in the sausage, breaking into chunks as you go. Turn down heat if things start to brown too much. When sausage has rendered its fat, add in flour and stir for one minute. (This is making a roux.) Stir in tomato paste.
  • Add stock and stir thoroughly stir up all the fond (stuck bits) from the bottom of the pot. Add in tomatoes and sherry and bring up to simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes then add in the clams and juice. Bring back to simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Turn off heat and add the chopped parsley. Add fresh lemon juice and zest. Check seasoning.
  • Serve with grated parmesan on top and a chunk of crusty bread.

Notes

There are many ingredients to this soup, but it is really worth it. I sometimes substitute andouille or chorizo for the Italian sausage. If you use one of these other sausages, substitute cilantro for all the basil and oregano,  use fresh cilantro instead of parsley and use queso fresco or grated manchego for garnish to drive home the flavour profile.
You can't go wrong serving crusty bread with this soup!