Over the years, I have tried many different recipes for hot Italian sausages. To be honest, most are very acceptable. But, not what I was looking for. It wasn't until I went back to western Pennsylvania for my grandmother's funeral that I realized why. The best hot Italian sausages, in my opinion, come from a small Italian grocer that has been family run since 1916 in Ellwood City, PA. My grandmother used them cut up in her lasagna, fried with peppers and onions, braised in her sunday sauce, and mixed with ground beef to make polpette. I haven't had their sausages prepared in any manner for more than a decade, having spent most of that time overseas. This past weekend I had them again, fried with pepper and onions and when my uncle made his sunday sauce. The taste was exactly what I had been looking for in a hot Italian sausage, probably because it is what I grew up with. I tried to figure out what was different about their sausages and the formulas that I have tried, but only found one obvious difference. Listed in the ingredients for the hot Italian sausage, but not the mild, there is tomato paste.
I was wondering if anyone would happen to have a hot Italian sausage formula that incorporates tomato paste. I'm sure that with this addition, other parts of a normal formula would need to be adjusted and I wouldn't know where to start. If anyone would have any ideas or a tried and true recipe, I would greatly appreciate your help. Thank you for your time and consideration.