At first you’d think this is a rather strange combination but once you taste the pairing of flavors – and the deep, flavorful sauce this dish renders – you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried it a long time ago. We saw this on a recent episode of Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa where Chef Johanne Kileen shared her recipe for this Tuscan classic. She’s been serving it at her Al Forno restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island for over 30 years. A few things attracted us to this recipe: it’s very easy to make, there are very few ingredients, no chopping or slicing required and good quality balsamic vinegar plays a major role in this dish. After we tried it in the OT Kitchen, we were very impressed with the depth of flavor achieved and we loved the combination of sweet and savory in each bite.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds of sausages (a mix of Italian spicy and Italian sweet sausages, or just one type)
- 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 5 to 6 cups of seedless grapes, red or green, with stems removed
- 2/3 cup of dry red wine, like Chianti
- about 3 tablespoons of Olive This! Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Aged Up To 18 Years
- Fresh Focaccia bread, to serve on the side
DIRECTIONS
Put a pot of water on high to boil. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
Parboil the sausages for about 8 minutes to remove any excess fat. You’ll be roasting them in the oven so you are not fully cooking them at this stage.
While the sausages are boiling, rinse the grapes and remove stems. Set aside.
In a large roasting pan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the grapes and toss to coat with the butter. Add the 2/3 cup of Chianti wine and stir with a wooden spoon until the wine has reduced by about half.
Transfer the parboiled sausages into the pan with the grapes and sauce. Place the roasting pan into the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until the sausages brown and the grapes soften. Turn the sausages half way through the roasting time.
Remove the roasting pan from the oven and place on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Scrape up any brown bits; deglazing the bottom of the pan. Let the balsamic vinegar and natural juices combine until thick and syrupy. This sauce is what makes this dish!
Transfer the sausages and grapes to a serving platter. Top with remaining sauce and serve immediately with the fresh bread or Focaccia on the side. You might also enjoy serving this with our Garlic Olive Oil Smashed Potatoes – another very easy recipe. Enjoy!
MAKES ABOUT 5-6 SERVINGS
Have a comment? We’d love to hear from you. Have you tried this dish? Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy? Leave us a comment below.
Having just returned from another “stocking up” trip to Charlotte and Olive This, I have busily been using my new products. As you know, I’m not a great recipe follower, but I’m an experimenter. That being said, I wanted to spruce up some tilapia so I dipped it in low fat sour cream, then lemon flavored Panko, a few glugs of Lemon EVOO in a small baking pan, flipped it over, tossed on some capers and baked it at 375 for a few minutes. I served it with a Greek salad, some rice. Yummy and quick. Thanks Olive This! Love you!!
I made this recipe using boneless chicken thighs instead of sausage, it was fabulous. The grapes and balsamic provide a taste sensation! Thank you Olive This!
Charlie