Pair shrimp, sausage for easy party food

With the holidays getting into full swing, life for most of us is getting hectic. Between all the big meals, the parties, the kids needing treats for their classes, never mind our jobs! Who has time for it all?

Well, this dish — my Italian take on surf and turf — will come to your rescue. It is ridiculously easy to make (especially if you use jarred roasted red peppers) and involves just seven ingredients (not counting salt and pepper). But I’ll confess that I stole the basic premise from my friend, and one of my favorite cookbook authors, Bruce Aidells.

Wrapping shrimp around a nugget of sausage was an idea he talked about in his book, “Bruce Aidells’ Complete Sausage Book.” I was amazed the first time I made his recipe. The two proteins meld wonderfully when baked. It makes the perfect appetizer or hors d’oeuvres for a holiday party.

I used large shrimp and fresh Italian turkey sausage, but if you can only find smaller shrimp or another variety of turkey sausage, go for it. However, you will need to use fresh (not dried, cured or cooked) sausage for the shrimp and sausage to stick together.

I gilded this Italian surf and turf with a red pepper sauce. Pureed roasted red peppers make a thick, rich sauce all by themselves; I just intensified the flavor with a bit of balsamic vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil.

Surf and Turf With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Start to finish: 30 minutes. Makes 16 shrimp.

16 peeled and deveined large raw shrimp (about 8 to 10 ounces)

6 ounces hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage meat (about 2 links)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced, divided

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 cup roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment.

Arrange the shrimp on the prepared baking sheet with all of the shrimp facing the same direction to form a series of Cs. Remove the casings from the sausage, place a small mound of the sausage in the center of each shrimp and press down so that the shrimp and sausage filling make a solid round.

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with half the garlic and all of the oregano. Sprinkle the shrimp lightly with salt and pepper, then brush the oil mixture over the shrimp and sausage. Bake the stuffed shrimp until they are cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender combine the red peppers, the remaining tablespoon of oil, the remaining garlic, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and heat just until hot.

To serve, arrange the shrimp on a serving platter, then drizzle each with some of the sauce.

per shrimp: 170 calories; 50 calories from fat (29 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 130 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 22 g protein; 710 mg sodium.