Good morning. Shoutout to all the new users on the Cook Well app.

If you want to plan & customize all the recipes we mention on these newsletters, the app makes it easy to turn inspiration into an actual meal plan & grocery list to cook through during your week.

INGREDIENT DEEP DIVE 🍳

Italian sausage

What is it?

Italian sausage is a fresh (uncured) pork sausage seasoned with garlic, fennel seed, salt, and pepper (or sometimes with chili flakes for heat). It’s usually sold raw, either in casings (links, as shown above) or loose like ground meat, and must be cooked before eating.

Comes in two main styles: sweet/mild (fennel-forward, no heat) and hot (with crushed red pepper).

What’s its flavor?

Taste: Savory (deeply meaty when browned), salty

Aroma: Garlicky, light anise notes from the fennel, porky

Texture: Juicy, unctuous, and coarse; can become crispy if browned deeply

Physical: Can range from mild to very spicy

Human: Weeknight Italian-American staple

Why should you buy some?

Italian sausage is pre-seasoned meat done right. It saves time, builds instant depth, and brings its own fat, salt, and aromatics to whatever you’re cooking. Think of it as adding ground meat + spices in one go to a dish.

One link or handful can flavor a whole pot of pasta, beans, or greens
Extremely versatile: crumble it, slice it, grill it, or use it as a base
Freezes well and works across cuisines—not just “Italian” dishes

And, it’s delicious on it’s own.

What else can you make with it?

Sausage, kale, and white bean stew
Crumbled sausage tomato sauce for pasta or lasagna
Sheet-pan sausage with peppers, onions, and potatoes
Sausage & ricotta stuffed shells
Breakfast hash (instead of breakfast sausage) with eggs and crispy potatoes

Italian sausage is one of those ingredients that cooks fast and adds tons of flavor. Keep it around and dinner gets a lot easier.

RECIPE RECS ✅

Our favorite Italian sausage dishes

Italian sausage really is one of the easiest ways to build flavor into a weeknight pasta with almost no time or effort. Two of our favorite examples of this are:

But to really sink your teeth into the ingredient, try making this sandwich:

Smashed Italian Sausage Hoagie

Plan & customize all of these recipes (& more!) in the Cook Well app:

Let’s Cook!

READER Q&A 🧠

Brown sugar storage

❝

Question: “How do you store brown sugar so it doesn’t harden?” - Will H.

Answer: Brown sugar tends to harden when it's exposed to air and loses moisture. First, make sure to store it properly to keep it soft in the first place:

Use an airtight container: Transfer the brown sugar to minimize air exposure and reduce hardening. If you're in a dry area:
Consider a sugar keeper: These designed containers maintain freshness and softness, often including a terra cotta disc for moisture.

If you’re looking to revive already hardened brown sugar, you can soften it by reintroducing water content or gently heating it up. Try:

Got time? Add moisture: Place a damp paper towel, or a dampened terra cotta brown sugar saver (a small, porous clay disc) in the container with the brown sugar. In a day or two, the added humidity will soften the sugar.
Need it now? Use the microwave: Place it in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with a damp towel, and microwave in 10-15 second intervals until soft. Avoid overheating to prevent melting or scorching. Alternatively, try Serious Eat’s gallon bag kneading method.

Fun fact: did you know brown sugar is actually granulated white sugar mixed with molasses?