I’ve had this recipe in my Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook for about a year now, and had yet to make until I watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa last weekend. They made this recipe and it looked very simple and tasty with just a few simple ingredients, so I had to finally try it! It’s great comfort food on a cold night, and quick enough to throw together during the week. Originally, I wanted to serve this with a side of creamy polenta, as suggested by Ina Garten, but the grocery store was completely out! So instead, I made this dish with a side of creamy garlic mashed potatoes which complemented the sausages and grapes nicely. It also made great leftovers for lunch!

Roasted Sausages with Grapes - 1

Roasted Sausages with Grapes - 2

Roasted Sausages with Grapes - 3

Roasted Sausages with Grapes - 4

Roasted Sausages with Grapes - 5

Roasted Sausages with Grapes - 6

Cook time: 30 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Italian hot sausage

1 1/2 pounds Italian sweet sausage

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 to 6 cups (2 pounds) red or green seedless grapes, stems removed

2 to 4 tablespoons dry red wine, preferably Chianti (optional)

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Fresh Foccaccia or Ciabatta bread, to serve (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the sausages, and simmer for 8 minutes to remove some of the fat. Remove to a plate.

Melt the butter in a large (12 x 15-inch) roasting pan on top of the stove, add the grapes, and toss to coat. *We didn’t have this type of pan, so we used a 12 inch cast iron skillet, which worked just fine.

(Optional: Over moderately high heat add the wine. Stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by half.)

Transfer the sausages to the roasting pan with tongs, nestling them down in the grapes in one layer. Place in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the sausages once, until they’re browned and the grapes are tender.

Transfer the sausages and grapes to a serving platter with tongs and a slotted spoon and cover with aluminum foil to keep them hot. Add the balsamic vinegar to the roasting pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes to reduce the balsamic vinegar slightly. Pour over the sausages and grapes and serve hot. Serve with fresh bread if you’d like.

*Note: In the pictures above, we just used 1 1/2 pounds of Italian hot sausage.

Recipe inspired by Barefoot Contessa.