This is the dressing I served at the first Thanksgiving I made dinner for Tony's Italian family.
- Kimberly
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 medium celery ribs with leaves, chopped
- 2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp crushed hot red pepper
- 12 oz day-old crusty Italian bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 7 cups)
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 Tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups turkey stock
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, red pepper, and pepper. Cooking, stirring often, until softened — about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cooking, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until th sausage loses its pink color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the basil, oregano, salt, and crushed red pepper.
Transfer to a large bowl. Add the bread and cheese and mix well. Stir in the butter, wine, and enough of the stock to moisten the dressing, about 1 cup. Use as a stuffing or place in a buttered baking dish, drizzle with an additional 1/2 cup broth, cover and bake as a side dish.
Bake for 1 hour. If you make it the day before, moisten top with stock.