Top 26 Italian Cooked Sausages

Salsiccia is a universal name for different types of fresh Italian sausage. It usually refers to a sausage made with minced or ground pork meat, pork fat, and numerous spices. The mixture is stuffed into a natural pork or sheep casing, and it is rarely cured or smoked. It is sold fresh and intended for grilling or frying. Although there are some disambiguations, it is believed that the original salsiccia was created in the region of Basilicata, but the use of fresh sausages has become so common that each Italian region has their typical salsiccia type. They mainly differ in the choice of meat, amount of fat, and spices. Next to pork, salsiccia can also include products made with beef, rabbit, and even seafood ingredients. They are usually heavily spiced with pepper, ground paprika, parsley, fennel, nutmeg, anise, coriander, while some even employ red wine. They can also differ in size, ranging from short and bulky to thin and long varieties. Italian salsiccia is famous outside the country, primarily in the United States, where it is mainly familiar as a pork sausage spiced with fennel or anise. Italians consume salsiccia all year round, they eat it as the main dish, as a sandwich filling, atop traditional pizzas, or incorporated in pasta sauces or casseroles.Expand

Luganega is a special variety of Italian sausage whose origin is still a subject of debate - although today it is widely recognized as a northern sausage, some say that it originated from the south, deriving its name from the ancient town of Lucania. Mainly produced in the regions of Lombardy, Trentino, and Veneto, it is often called salsiccia a metro, meaning sausage by the meter, due to the fact that it is made as one long, coiled sausage that is not divided into smaller pieces. This generally mild sausage is made with pig’s meat, and depending on the region, different parts of meat are used –some use pig's cheek or neck, while others use pork shoulder or rib meat as well. The maturation is between 4 days and 4 months, and although there are some cured versions that can be enjoyed sliced, luganega usually requires cooking - fattier versions are meant for stewing, while leaner ones are best when grilled.Expand

Luganega is a special variety of sausage whose origin is still a subject of debate - although today it is widely recognized as a northern sausage, some say that it originated from the south, deriving its name from the ancient town of Lucania. Mainly produced in the regions of Lombardy, Trentino, and Veneto, it is often called salsiccia a metro, meaning sausage by the meter, due to the fact that it is made as one long, coiled sausage, not divided into smaller pieces. This generally mild sausage is made with pig’s meat, and depending on the region different parts of meat are used –some use pig's cheek or neck, while others use pork shoulder or rib meat as well. The maturation is between 4 days and 4 months, and although there are some cured versions that can be enjoyed sliced, luganega usually requires cooking - fattier versions are meant for stewing, while leaner ones are best when grilled. The most famous Lombardian luganega comes from the city of Monza, where it is made with finely ground pork, spices, meat broth, red wine, and lots of grated parmesan cheese. It is usually prepared stewed, while its richness makes it perfect for flavoring polenta or risottos - it is recommended to try it in a local delicacy called risotto alla monzese, where luganega is the key ingredient.Expand

This spicy sausage formed into a distinctive shape of a horseshoe is one of the most popular meat delicacies of southern Italy. Salsiccia di Calabria is made from a well-balanced mix of lean pork shoulder meat and bacon that are ground and seasoned with salt, black pepper, and fennel seeds. Depending on whether Salsiccia is seasoned or not with peperoncino Calabrese chili pepper, this Calabrian sausage comes in three varieties: bianca (no chili), dolce (sweet chili) or piccante (hot chili). After seasoning, the meat is stuffed into natural casings and left to mature for at least 30 days. It is traditionally hanged and air-cured, but sometimes it can be preserved in glass jars immersed in olive oil. Salsiccia has a fat content of at least 15-20% and quite an intense aroma with a pleasantly piquant taste.Expand

Cotechino is a traditional pork sausage and a specialty of Emilia-Romagna, although there are variations in Lombardy, Molise, Trentino, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The sausage is usually made from lean and fat (pork rinds) pork, cloves, cinnamon, and white wine. It's available fresh and part-cured (pre-cooked in this case) – the fresh variety should be simmered over low heat for a few hours, while the part-cured variety is usually made for export and it's cooked in about half an hour. Cotechino is typically served with lentils, beans, mostarda di frutta (preserved fruits in mustard syrup), or mashed potatoes on the side. While the sausage is slowly cooking, the fat becomes jellied and oozes out once the sausage is cut, and that's the reason why it's often served with lentils, beans, or potatoes – they will soak up the fat.Expand

Cotechino Modena is a large Italian pork sausage originating from Emilia-Romagna. It's made with a mixture of pork, pork fat, pork rinds, salt, and pieces of pepper or whole pepper. Wine, sugar, spices and herbs are often added to the mixture for extra flavor. The mixture is stuffed into natural or artificial casings and smoke flavorings are not permitted. If fresh, the sausage is sold whole (loose or packaged), and if cooked, it's usually sold vacuum-packed. Cotechino Modena must be easy to slice, and the firm, evenly grained slices should retain their shape. This sausage is typically available around Christmas time and New Year's, and it's served in fairly thick slices with lentils, beans, mashed potatoes, or as part of a bollito misto (mixed boiled meats). According to legend, cotechino sausages first appeared in the winter of 1511 in Mirandola, when the city was under siege by the troops of Pope Julius II. To save the little they had from the wartime pillage and plunder, the people of Mirandola hastily decided to slaughter their pigs, finely grind the meat, season it with salt and pepper, and stuff it back into the pork casing. The sausage turned out to become a great success and in the 1700s the traditional recipe had spread to neighbouring butcheries and salumeria shops. Today, the cotechino Modena sausages are produced within the entire Emilia-Romagna region. It's recommended to pair the sausage with hearty red wines.Expand

Even though zampone Modena is nowadays produced within the entire Emilia-Romagna region, according to legend, this cured pork sausage first appeared in the winter of 1511 in Mirandola, when the city was under siege by the troops of Pope Julius II. To save the little they had from the wartime pillage and plunder, the people of Mirandola hastily decided to slaughter their pigs, finely ground the meat, season it, and stuff it back into hollowed out pig's trotters. Zampone Modena is typically combined with pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and infused with red wine, which gives this fresh sausage its strong, aromatic flavor. Both Zampone and the closely related cotechino Modena are traditionally available around Christmastime and New Year’s, boiled and served in fairly thick slices sided with lentils, beans, mashed potatoes, or spinach with butter and parmesan cheese.Expand

Salsiccia di fegato is a traditional variety of a very soft liver sausage produced in the region of Marche. Made with a mixture of ground pork liver, lard, and leaner cuts of meat flavored with salt, pepper, grated orange peel, garlic, and nutmeg, it can be considered a poor man’s variety of liver pâté. Shortly cured, it develops both sweet and salty flavor enclosed in a soft, creamy texture. It is best enjoyed fresh, spread on some toasted bread, but it is also excellent when grilled, accompanied by mashed potatoes and mustard.Expand

Mazzafegato, also called salsiccia matta, meaning mad sausage, is a poor man’s variety of a cured pork sausage produced in the region of Marche. The inferior parts of pork such as liver, tongue, tail, heart, spleen, lungs, and different leftover scraps of meat are coarsely ground and flavored with salt, pepper, pepperoncino, garlic, fennel flowers, lemon, and orange zest. A sweet variety also exists, and it is additionally enriched with raisins, pine nuts, cinnamon, sugar, and red wine. Mazzafegato is usually served as secondo piatto, grilled or baked in the oven with aromatic herbs. It has a strong, decisive flavor that pairs nicely with hearty bread and robust red wines.Expand

Salsiccia is a term often used as a universal name for different varieties of fresh Italian sausages made with minced or ground meat flavored with spices and stuffed in a natural casing. They are produced all over Italy, but the region of Marche is especially renowned for their pork liver sausages, recognized as traditional Italian agricultural products: salsiccia di fegato and mazzafegato, also known as salsiccia matta, or the mad sausage. Salsiccia di fegato is a very soft, creamy delicacy best enjoyed as an appetizer, spread over slices of toasted bread, while mazzafegato has a strong flavor and is usually served as a hearty secondo piatto, grilled or baked in the oven, accompanied by a glass of a robust red wine.Expand

Macelleria Salumeria Beccalli is a renowned butcher shop and delicatessen located in Costa Masnaga, in the province of Lecco, Lombardy, Italy. Established in 1961, this family-owned business is distinguished by its dedication to tradition and quality, combining artisanal techniques with a modern approach. Their work has been recognized by the Lombardy Region, which awarded Beccalli for its commitment to preserving artisanal production. Macelleria Salumeria Beccalli offers a wide range of products, including pork and beef charcuterie, as well as prepared dishes and specialties. In addition, Beccalli has opened a restaurant called retroBottega, located within the same complex. The restaurant offers sophisticated cuisine with a focus on meat specialties, using products from their butcher shop. Macelleria Salumeria Beccalli is the perfect destination for lovers of high-quality meat products and authentic Italian cuisine.Expand