In this post, I’ll show you how to make your own antipasti sausage. This creative Mediterranean sausage combines juicy pork with savory Parmesan and your favorite antipasti—whether it’s olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, or broccoli. Just add whatever you like best.
The Antipasti sausage is a true summer sausage and is excellent on the grill or in a skillet. Served with crusty olive bread and a few extra antipasti on the plate, it’ll quickly become the highlight of any summer barbecue.
If you’re looking for more creative bratwurst ideas, be sure to check out my recipe book “”24 Bratwurst Recipes For A Perfect Barbecue Experience”.
I also answered some general questions about making bratwurst in my post Making Bratwurst Yourself. Have a look there.
But now enough talking…
Here you can find the complete antipasti sausage recipe as a video or to read through.
Have fun and good luck making it!
Antipasti sausage – What do you need to make it?
With the right ingredients and a little patience, you can easily make this delicious antipasti bratwurst.
Ingredients per 1 kg
- 55 % pork shoulder (550 g)
- 20% pork back fat (200 g)
- 20% antipasti (200 g)
- 5% Parmesan (50 g)
The fat content should be between 20 % and a maximum of 25 %.
Spices per kg
- 18 g salt
- 2.5 g black pepper
- 2 g oregano
- 0.75 g thyme
The equipment to make antipasti sausage
You need a meat grinder to “grind” the meat. The meat is chopped into small chunks and can then be mixed.
Sausage stuffer / Grinder attachment / Funnel
You need this to get your sausage mass into the casing. If you do not have one, you can also use a filling attachment for your meat grinder or a hand filling funnel.
Natural casings
The antipasti sausage is stuffed into natural casings. I recommend you to use sheep casing caliber 22/24.
Antipasti sausage – Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these steps to make the perfect antipasti sausage.
1. Cut the pork shoulder, the back bacon, and the Parmesan separately into pieces suitable for the meat grinder. You don’t need to dice the Parmesan into small cubes; pieces a few centimeters on each side are more than enough to ensure it passes cleanly through the fine-mesh disc later on.
2. Remove your marinated antipasti from the oil or vinegar marinade and let them drain thoroughly in a colander first. Then pat them dry with paper towels. Important: Too much residual liquid will make your sausage mixture mushy later on and weaken its binding, causing your bratwurst to crumble when sliced.
3. Place the sliced meat, back fat, and Parmesan in the freezer for about 1 hour. Everything should be well chilled but not completely frozen. This prevents the bacon from sticking to the perforated disc later on and ensures the Parmesan breaks cleanly without clumping together.
4. Now, really grind everything together using the fine grinding disc: pork shoulder, back fat, Parmesan, and your patted-dry antipasti. If you prefer your Antipasti sausage a little coarser, you can, of course, use the medium grinding disc instead. It’s a matter of taste!
5. Add the salt, black pepper, oregano, and thyme to the ground sausage meat and knead everything vigorously for about 3 minutes. You’ll know the mixture has bound well when light streaks of fat form and the sausage meat becomes sticky. Without this binding, your Antipasti sausage would fall apart when you cut into it later.
6. Thread the soaked sheep casings (caliber 22/24) onto the sausage stuffer. Personally, I prefer the thin sheep casings for this Mediterranean sausage, as they allow the flavors of the individual antipasti pieces to shine through better. If you prefer thicker sausages, use pork casings (caliber 28/30).
Book recommendation: The Full Guide On Making Sausages Easily At Home – Step-by-step instructions & 37 delicious recipes
7. Fill the sheep’s intestine slowly and evenly with the sausage meat. Don’t fill it too tightly, or the casing will burst when you tie it off or later while frying. The filled casing should still give slightly when pressed with a finger.
8. Twist the sausages to your desired length. To do this, hold the sausage between two fingers and twist it forward. Then leave a length of sausage untwisted and repeat the process in the other direction. This ensures that each sausage remains neatly sealed and gives you a neat, string-like appearance.
9. Now you have several options. The Antipasti sausage tastes best fresh from the pan or off the grill. Cook them over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, until they’re golden brown on the outside and cooked through on the inside. Alternatively, you can freeze the sausages in portions or blanch them in the refrigerator at 75 °C for about 30 minutes to extend their shelf life.
10. Your Antipasti sausage is ready. I like to serve it with crusty olive bread and a few extra antipasti on the plate. You can see the pickled pieces nicely distributed throughout the sausage, and the flavors of the Parmesan and artichoke really come through. Enjoy!😄
Frequently asked questions
How long does homemade Antipasti sausage last?
Fresh, raw Antipasti sausage will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 to 3 days. If you blanch it at 75 °C, the shelf life extends to 5 to 7 days. When frozen in portions, it will keep for 3 months without any problems.
Which antipasti go well with Antipasti sausage?
Strong-flavored, pickled antipasti work best, such as black and green olives, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and broccoli. Just use whatever you like best. Whether they’re marinated in oil or vinegar, the key is to make sure the antipasti are thoroughly drained and patted dry with paper towels so your bratwurst doesn’t get too soggy.
Can I make Antipasti sausage without Parmesan?
Parmesan gives the Antipasti sausage its characteristic savory-salty base flavor. If you want to substitute it, try pecorino or a well-aged mountain cheese. I wouldn’t leave out the cheese entirely, though, or the sausage will lack the depth of flavor that makes it so special.
Which casings are suitable for Antipasti sausage?
I use sheep casings (caliber 22/24) because the thin sausage pairs perfectly with the Mediterranean flavors and cooks beautifully on the grill or in a pan. If you prefer a thicker, heartier bratwurst, pork casings in size.
Can I make antipasti bratwurst without the casing?
Yes, you can shape the mixture into bratwurst without the casing and grill or fry it. You can find my bratwurst without casing recipe here.