If you’re wondering what to serve with your Italian sausage, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 39 of the most popular side dishes for Italian sausage.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best side dishes to serve with Italian sausage are Italian crusty bread, creamy polenta, and peperonata. You can also serve them with a cheese board, covered in mushroom gravy, or in an antipasto pasta salad. For more unique options, try a fava bean stew or braised fennel.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Italian crusty bread
Looking for a unique way to serve your Italian sausage?
Turn it into a sandwich using some homemade Italian crusty bread.
It might be more effort than getting some bread from the store. But you can’t beat warm, just-baked bread.
To make it a complete meal, serve some baked beans and coleslaw with your sandwich.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a quick recipe that doesn’t include any kneading!
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Italian crusty bread
Go traditional
Garlic bread
Make it fancy
Burrata Bruschetta toast
Butter lettuce salad
If you’re looking for something light, go for a salad.
You could always go for a classic Italian salad, but I like to mix things up with my salads.
Recently I’ve been loving this burger lettuce salad. It’s got a complex mix of textures from the lettuce, seeds, and avocado.
Plus the tahini dressing is super moreish.
Why we love this recipe: it’s light but filling thanks to all the healthy fats.
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Butter lettuce salad
Add more veggies
Tomato cucumber lettuce salad
Go traditional
Classic Italian salad
Fava bean stew
Mixing your sausage into a warm fava bean stew is a brilliant idea to beat cold days.
It’s so comforting and is full of smoky flavors from paprika and cumin.
The lemon juice and cilantro add some brightness, and don’t forget to serve some crunchy bread on the side for dipping!
Why we love this recipe: it’s a budget-friendly meal that’s bursting with flavor.
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Vegetarian fava bean stew
Make it cheesy
Cheesy white bean tomato bake
Make it Southern
Baked beans
Cheese board
Hosting an intimate wine session with friends soon?
Cut up your Italian sausage and serve it with a gorgeous cheese platter.
It makes for a light, fun dinner any time of the week and it’s super easy to put together.
My go-to cheeses are gruyere, a sharp cheddar, some brie, and a blue cheese.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a low-effort dish that is guaranteed to impress.
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Cheese board
Go for tapas
Spanish tapas board
Make it unique
Potato cheese balls
Creamy polenta
It doesn’t matter if it’s baked, fried, or creamy, polenta is a beautiful side oozing with buttery corn flavor.
I’ve gone for the creamy version here, and it’s topped with a mixture of savory mushroom and sweet caramelized onions.
All you need is a meaty sausage and you have a dinner-party-worthy meal!
Why we love this recipe: it’s uniquely comforting, but fancy at the same time.
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Polenta with mushrooms and caramelized onions
Go traditional
Garlic mashed potatoes
Make it crispy
Polenta fries
Mandarin orange salad
Get creative with this fruit-filled salad.
It may not seem like a conventional pairing for Italian sausage, but the sweet and savory flavors actually meld really well together.
And it has a citrusy vinaigrette that will balance out the richness of the sausage.
Why we love this recipe: it’s an easily customizable salad – you can add avocados to make it creamier or go vegan with plant-based cheese.
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Mandarin orange salad
Make it simple
Kale salad
Make it colorful
Winter fruit salad
Italian antipasto pasta salad
Okay – let’s get back to the Italian theme!
If you don’t feel like serving an antipasti board, you can mix everything together and make a salad instead.
This salad has just the right amount of tanginess and spice from the pepperoncini, some creaminess from mozzarella, and a lovely sweetness from some juicy tomatoes.
The Italian sausage will fit right in!
Why we love this recipe: it’s super easy to put together, so great for serving a crowd.
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Italian antipasto pasta salad
Make it unique
Italian spaghetti salad
Make it simple
Basil lemon pasta salad
Mushroom gravy
I’ve never found a sausage that wasn’t made better with some gravy.
And you can take your gravy to the next level by adding in some mushrooms.
They’ll make your smooth sauce richer with their deep earthy flavor, and they’re jam-packed with the elusive umami.
All you need extra is a side of mash. yum!
Why we love this recipe: it’s easy to make gluten-free, paleo, or vegetarian.
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Mushroom gravy
Make it hearty
Mushroom rice
Change the flavor
Red onion gravy
Braised fennel
Why not try something different?
Lots of people are scared of fennel, but once you start cooking it, you’ll soon discover how its unique taste can elevate pretty much any meal.
Braising fennel mellows out the aniseed flavors and highlights its sweetness, as well as giving it a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Why we love this recipe: the garnish of orange zest keeps the dish bright and vibrant.
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Braised fennel
Make it refreshing
Shave fennel and celery salad
Add potatoes
Braised fennel and potatoes
French potato salad
While many potato salads are tossed in a mayo-based mixture, these potatoes take a tangy and herby route instead.
The light vinaigrette makes the salad much more elegant than its American counterpart and means you can still taste all the wonderful flavors from your sausage.
Why we love this recipe: you can serve it warm during winter and cold during the summer.
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French potato salad
Add some veggies
French potato salad with green beans
Make it creamy
Creamy red potato salad with herbs
Sauteed broccoli
Sauteed broccoli is my go-to side when I’m in a rush.
It’s quick, healthy, and easy to spruce up with some garlic and lemon.
Or you can add chili flakes if you want some of heat.
Why we love this recipe: it’s an easy 10-minute dish you can whip up whenever.
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Sauteed broccoli
Ditch the stove
Roast broccoli
Try a different flavor
Sauteed broccoli and asparagus with parmesan
Peperonata
Peperonata is an Italian dish that celebrates the flavors of bell pepper.
You can mix your sausages into the stew, or serve it as a side alongside some rice or pasta (or the polenta side I mentioned earlier).
It can be done in just 15 minutes if you want to keep some bite in the peppers, or you can leave it for up to an hour if you want a softer texture.
Why we love this recipe: it’s rustic but delicious, and you only need a few ingredients.
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Peperonata
Make it into a salad
Bell pepper salad
Make it hearty
Pasta peperonata
Frittata
Italian sausage isn’t just for dinner! It makes a great breakfast too.
Especially served next to some fluffy scrambled egg or a colorful frittata.
Frittatas come together so easily – you can make them as plain as you want or load them up with veggies like spinach and tomatoes.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a great make-ahead dish so you can save time in the mornings.
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Frittata
Make it quick
Scrambled egg
Make it unique
Mini frittata muffins
The best side dishes to serve with Italian sausage
- Italian crusty bread
- Butter lettuce salad
- Fava bean stew
- Cheese board
- Creamy polenta
- Mandarin orange salad
- Italian antipasto pasta salad
- Mushroom gravy
- Braised fennel
- French potato salad
- Sauteed broccoli
- Peperonata
- Frittata
What To Serve With Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 portion Italian sausage
Instructions
- Prepare your Italian sausage according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: Italian crusty bread, butter lettuce salad, fava bean stew, cheese board, creamy polenta, mandarin orange salad, Italian antipasto pasta salad, mushroom gravy, braised fennel, french potato salad, sauteed broccoli, peperonata, and frittata.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
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