Johnsonville Sausage Launches 'Pastaville' Italian Sausage Recipe Contest

All are Invited to Enter for a Chance to Win a $10,000 Cash Prize

News provided by

Oct 04, 2010, 11:00 ET

SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnsonville Sausage, LLC, today announced the launch of its "Pastaville" Italian Sausage recipe contest, which runs now, through Jan. 3, 2011. To enter the contest, all are invited to visit johnsonville.com/pastaville and upload a recipe featuring Johnsonville Italian Sausage. Each entry gives folks a chance to win the $10,000 grand prize to fulfill their culinary dream – whether that's a kitchen remodeling project, new appliances, a trip to Italy or something else.

"Using Italian Sausage instead of another protein like chicken or beef can add great flavor to your favorite recipes," said Bob Fitzgerald, Johnsonville brand manager. "The great thing about our Italian Sausage is that it has the perfect blend of spices and seasonings right in the meat, so it's a really easy way to take your favorite dishes to the next level."

According to Fitzgerald, the Pastaville contest is simple and easy to enter. All folks need to do is start with a favorite recipe of theirs – or create a new one – and use Johnsonville Italian Sausage instead of another protein, such as ground beef or chicken, adding great flavor to the dish. People can enter as many recipes as they'd like in the contest, as there is no limit to the number of chances each person can have to win. Also, to help showcase the appeal of their recipes, contestants are invited to upload a photo or short video featuring the recipe.

Contest entries will be narrowed to six finalists, which will then be evaluated on their overall taste, visual appeal and ease of preparation. To determine the winners, the final recipes will be professionally prepared and judged by the experts at Johnsonville Sausage. The grand prize winner will receive $10,000 in cash, the second-place finisher will receive $3,000 and the third-place winner will receive $2,000.

"We recognize everyone has a unique culinary dream," said Fitzgerald. "We're excited to give a few lucky people the chance to realize their specific dreams, whether it's something for their home, the chance to travel and taste some of the best food in the world or something completely different, through our Pastaville recipe contest."

To help get the creativity flowing, Fitzgerald encourages at-home chefs to try one of his favorite Johnsonville recipes, "Old Fashioned Italian Meatballs."

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101004/CG75464)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20101004/CG75464)

Old Fashioned Italian Meatballs
Makes: 6 servings

WHAT YOU NEED
1 medium egg
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 pkg. (16 oz.) Johnsonville® Italian All Natural Ground Sausage
2 Tbsp. olive oil

PREPARATION
In a large bowl, combine the egg, milk and breadcrumbs.
Let stand for 3-4 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Add sausage; mix well.
Shape into meatballs.
In a large skillet, saute meatballs in olive oil until golden brown and no longer pink.

SERVING SUGGESTION
Serve meatballs with your favorite sauce and pasta.

For more recipe ideas and inspiration, visit johnsonville.com/recipes. For full details, rules and regulations for the Pastaville recipe contest, visit johnsonville.com/pastaville.

About Johnsonville Sausage, LLC

Wisconsin-based Johnsonville Sausage is the No. 1 national brand of brats, Italian sausage, smoked-cooked links and fresh breakfast sausage links. Johnsonville employs approximately 1,300 members. Each member takes ownership of product quality to ensure the excellence and "Big Flavor" of Johnsonville Sausage. Founded in 1945 by Ralph F. and Alice Stayer, the company remains privately owned today.