Italian-Style Sausage Rolls

Buying a sausage roll at the ‘servo’ is something most of us have done at some stage. It’s one of those iconic Aussie delicacies, up there with a meat pie, vegemite sandwich and a Bunnings BBQ.  As good as a shop-bought sausage roll is, and I have eaten some epic versions over years while travelling, homemade are extra special.

I’ve been making these sausage rolls for as long as I can remember and everyone who has eaten them always loves them. I often get asked ‘what’s the secret’ to my sausage rolls. I guess what I do differently is add in my staple Italian flavours, garlic, oregano, Parmesan and a little pasta sauce (keeps them very moist and delicious).

These can be made and frozen in their raw state, ready to be cooked straight from the freezer whenever you need them. I always use beef mince for my sausage rolls, but please use the regular mince, not the lean variety, as it has way more flavour (fat equals flavour) and will keep these moist as they should be.

Italian-Style Sausage Rolls

A burst of Italian flavour in the iconic Aussie sausage roll.

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Servings: 36 approx.

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 500 g beef mince
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 brown onion, peeled and finely diced
• 3 tbsp dried oregano
• ½ cup Tomato Sauce (pasta sauce) - home-made or store bought
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 cup dried breadcrumbs
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 sheets store-bought puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg, extra, whisked with 1 tbsp water (egg wash)

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F).
2. Put the mince, garlic, onion, tomato sauce, 2 eggs, Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Add a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper and mix to combine. I think your hands are the best tools for this job, so get in there and squish away
3. Cut each pastry sheet in half horizontally.
4. Place a line of the meat mixture onto the pastry, about 2.5cm (1inch) thick, along the end closest to you. Make sure it is even all the way along and goes right to the edges. Now roll it like a log, so the meat is enclosed in the pastry. When you’re almost at the other end, dip a pastry brush into the egg wash and brush along the end. Now completely roll up your sausage roll, pressing at the end to seal. You will now have a long roll.
5. Repeat with all the pastry and mince mixture.
6. Using a sharp knife, cut 4cm (1½ inch) lengths (or thereabouts) to make little bite size sausage rolls. Place on a baking paper lined oven tray. Brush with a little more egg wash.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, or until pastry is golden.

Notes

 

Tip: These are so good you may as well make more than you need and freeze. After you’ve rolled and cut the sausage rolls, lay on a tray and freeze in a single layer. Once frozen, you can tip them into freezer bags or containers and keep for at least 3 months. You can put these straight into the oven frozen, they’ll take about an hour to cook. Don’t forget to brush them with a little egg wash first to get them all nice and golden

Recipe from my book – Easy Home Cooking Italian Style, New Holland Publishers, Photo – Jonathan VDK