A mixture of hot Italian sausage, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and a pesto-flavored Jack cheese comprise the stuffing in these tasty stuffed mushrooms served with an Italian-spiced tomato concassé.

Pesto Jack Stuffed Mushrooms with Tomato Concassé

Stuffed Mushrooms:
3/4 pound hot Italian sausage, casing removed
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1 cup (4 ounces) Wisconsin Pesto Jack cheese, shredded
6 large (12 ounces) Portobello mushrooms, stems removed

 

Tomato Concassé:*
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, diced
4 large Roma tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. For Stuffed Mushrooms: Preheat broiler.
2. In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat, breaking apart until fully cooked; remove from heat and drain fat. Add pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes and Wisconsin Pesto Jack cheese. Mix well; set aside.
3. In the preheated broiler, broil mushroom caps, rounded side up, for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven; turn caps over and carefully spoon warm sausage stuffing into each cap. Return to oven and broil 3 to 5 minutes.
4. For Concassé: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add garlic and shallot; sweat 1 minute to release flavor. Add remaining ingredients and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool slightly.
5. In a food processor, pulse tomato mixture to desired consistency. Spoon onto tops of filled mushrooms and serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

*May be replaced with a 14 to 16 ounce jar of chunky Italian-style tomato sauce.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.