Neapolitan Poultry Stuffing

This Italian sausage, spinach and Ricotta stuffing is always a big hit.

Printable Recipe

Roast Chicken (iStockPhoto)

Bob Dinitto

sections

Summary

Ingredients

Procedure

Serving

This unusual stuffing was passed down by my grandmother Maria, who was originally from Gaeta, Italy. She came to the US in the early 1930's.

Here spinach, sausage, Ricotta, and pine nuts combine to form a delicate and flavorful stuffing for poultry. This was traditionally used to stuff her Thanksgiving turkey. Alternately you can simply pour the mixture into a greased loaf pan or flameproof casserole and bake in a 350°F oven. Or just stuff anything with it!

Toast pine nuts on a sheet pan in 350°F oven for 3 or 4 minutes. Watch carefully as they toast quickly and easily burn. Once toasted remove them from the sheet pan immediately to stop them cooking.

Summary^ 

Author:	Bob Dinitto
Source:	Maria DiNitto
Portions:	Approximately 2 pounds
Prep time:	30 minutes
Cook time:	In loaf pan: 30-45 minutes, in poultry it varies, see below.

Ingredients^ 

Amount	Measure	Description
4	tablespoons	olive oil, divided
1	pound	sausage meat, Jimmy Dean
1	10 oz package	frozen spinach, cooked, drained, and chopped
1	pound	Ricotta cheese
2	each	eggs
1	each	small onion, small dice
⅓	cup	Romano cheese, grated
⅓	cup	pine nuts, lightly toasted
to taste	salt
to taste	black pepper	freshly ground

Procedure^ 

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1. Brown sausage meat and diced onion in olive oil. Drain grease. Break eggs into pan and stir.
2. Put mixture into mixing bowl. Add spinach and remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. Bake the stuffing (either by itself in a flameproof casserole or by first stuffing into a chicken or other object) in a 350 degree oven until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached.
   Cooking times will vary: In a loaf pan about 45 minutes. In poultry approximately 20 minutes per pound in 325°F degree preheated oven.In all cases stuffing must reach 165°F (74°C)

Serving^ 

Serve as you would any stuffing, preferably with a side of gravy or sauce. When using a loaf pan, remove from the pan and slice.

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