Cook The Book: Pork Sausage Spiedini With Bocconcini And Cherry Tomatoes

• 12 ounces bulk sausage, or sausage meat removed from its casings
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh basil, plus additional for garnish
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound bocconcini
• Fragrant extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1. Preheat the oven to 400u0b0F.
2. In a medium bowl, use a fork to break up the bulk sausage. Add the minced garlic, the 3 tablespoons minced basil, the salt, and the pepper, and blend the ingredients with the fork. Form balls of the sausage mixture, the same size as the cherry tomatoes. (The heat of your hands will soften the fat in the meat and bind the shape.) Place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until they are brown and have rendered their fat into the baking sheet, 12 minutes.
3. Thread the meatballs, bocconcini, and cherry tomatoes onto 12-inch bamboo skewers, alternating and using 2 of each per skewer. Drizzle olive oil over the skewers and sprinkle with the remaining minced basil.

sausage, garlic, fresh basil, salt, freshly ground black pepper, bocconcini, extravirgin olive oil

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/12/simple-italian-snacks-jason-denton-kathryn-kellinger-pork-sausage-spiedini-recipe.html (may not work)