U’ Funnateglie
U’ funnateglie is a typical recipe from Molise made from sausages, bell peppers and tomatoes. I first heard it described on the TV-show “È sempre mezzogiorno” with Antonella Clerici. Not having the full recipe, I gave it my own interpretation, and it has been a favourite ever since.
In Molise, the term “funnateglie” refers to the act of dipping bread into the sauce, but the dish can also be served with pasta. You are also supposed to use a special sausage preserved in lard called “Salsiccia sotto sugna”, but I think any good quality Italian sausage will do. Finally there is the matter of eggs.
According to the traditional recipe you should break four eggs into the sauce, while it’s still simmering, so that you can dip the bread in yolk and sauce simultaneously. I prefer the dish without eggs, when served with pasta, but I’m aware this is a heresy. Therefore you will have the proper recipe – with eggs – here, although there are no eggs in the photo.
Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers
1 white onion
400 g cherry tomatoes
4 high quality Italian sausages
½ fresh chili pepper or 1 small peperoncino
Olive oil, salt and fresh basil
4 eggs
Preparation:
Peel and slice the onion.
Cut the bell peppers finely after removing the top and seeds.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves and roughly chop the chili pepper.
In a pan, add some olive oil, chili pepper, and onions, and sauté for a few minutes.
Once the onions are translucent, add the sliced sausages.
When the sausage slices are fried, add cherry tomatoes and bell peppers.
Season with salt, add basil leaves, and let it cook for 15 minutes over low heat.
Adjust with a little water, if the sauce becomes too thick
If you are serving the funnateglia as a pasta sauce, you can prepare the pasta while the sauce is simmering.
Make four dents in the sauce and place the cracked eggs in the dents, to prepare the
funnateglia the proper way.
Cover with a lid, turn off the heat and let the dish sit for about 10 minutes until the egg whites are cooked through.
Mix the funnateglia well with cooked pasta or serve it with slices of nice sour dough bread.
U’ Funnateglia sauce of sausages, bell pepper and tomatoes served with pasta instead of eggs and bread
Italian Notes
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