Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • divided
  •  plus a drizzle for ricotta
  • 1 pound sweet sausage with fennel
  • cut from casing
  • 1½ to 2 cups fresh ricotta
  • Salt and white or fine black pepper
  • About ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
  • grated
  • One small handful parsley
  • chopped
  • ⅓ to ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Zest of 1 small lemon 
  • 2 bunches broccolini
  • trimmed of ends 1 inch
  •  blanched in salt water
  • cold shocked and drained
  • 2 large shallots (or 1 small onion)
  • thinly sliced or chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • sliced
  • 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili paste (or 2 small red chilies
  • chopped)
  • Juice of 1 small lemon
  • 1 loaf Italian bread with sesame seeds on top
  • One 12-ounce sack shredded mozzarella cheese
  • or two 8-ounce sacks and reserve 4 ounces for another use
  • Hot or sweet pickled cherry peppers

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 375˚F with rack at center
  • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon EVOO and brown and crumble the sausage
  • Transfer to drain on a small platter lined with paper towels
  • Combine ricotta with salt, white or black pepper, nutmeg, parsley, drizzle of olive oil, parmesan cheese, and lemon zest
  • Chop broccolini into bite-sized pieces
  • Heat skillet again with EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, add shallots or onions and season with a little salt, stir a couple of minutes to soften, add garlic, Calabrian chili paste or two small red chilies, broccolini and toss 2 to 3 minutes more, add splash of water (about ¼ cup) and juice of lemon, toss a minute more and remove from heat
  • Halve bread and scoop out excess center softer bits from top
  • Spread the bottom of the bread with the ricotta and top with sausage, broccolini mixture, mozzarella, pickled peppers and bread top
  • Press to set the stuffed loaf and wrap in foil with seam on top of loaf
  • Bake 20 minutes, open foil and raise temp to 425˚F, bake about 5 minutes more to brown, then let stand 5 to 10 minutes
  • Remove foil and place on large cutting board and cut into sections to serve