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Zalzett Malti biz-Zalza (Maltese Sausage in Tomato Sauce)

Rustic Maltese sausage simmered in tomato sauce with onion, garlic, wine, herbs, and peas. Rich, hearty, and perfect with bread or pasta.

Rustic Maltese sausage simmered in tomato sauce with onion, garlic, wine, herbs, and peas. Rich, hearty, and perfect with bread or pasta.

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Prep10 minsCook40 minsServes4DifficultyMedium
Watercolour illustration of Maltese pork sausages in tomato sauce with peas and parsley.

Bright, satisfying and built for real life.

This recipe brings together the generous flavours of Maltese cooking in a format that works on a busy day. Read through the method before starting and adjust seasoning to your taste.

Ingredient notes & swaps

  • Look for fresh Maltese pork sausage at a Maltese or Mediterranean butcher. A fresh coarse pork sausage is a practical alternative, but its seasoning will change the sauce. Avoid treating cured salami or ready-to-eat sausage as the same ingredient. Use chopped canned tomatoes if fresh ones are out of season and taste before adding salt.

The recipe

Zalzett Malti biz-Zalza (Maltese Sausage in Tomato Sauce)

10 min prep40 min cook50 min total4 people
Scale:

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1

    Brown the sausage: Heat the olive oil in a wide pan. Brown the Maltese sausage on all sides, then remove and set aside.

  2. 2

    Cook the aromatics: Add the onion to the same pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

  3. 3

    Deglaze: Pour in the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.

  4. 4

    Simmer the sauce: Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, bay leaf, and black pepper. Return the sausage to the pan, cover, and simmer gently for 25 minutes.

  5. 5

    Finish: Add the peas and cook uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Taste before adding salt, as Maltese sausage is already salty. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Zalzett Malti biz-Zalza is a hearty Maltese sausage dish simmered in tomato sauce with wine, onion, garlic, herbs, and peas. It is simple, robust home cooking, made for crusty bread, pasta, or potatoes.

Ingredient Substitutions Outside Malta

Look for fresh Maltese pork sausage at a Maltese or Mediterranean butcher. A fresh coarse pork sausage is a practical alternative, but its seasoning will change the sauce. Avoid treating cured salami or ready-to-eat sausage as the same ingredient. Use chopped canned tomatoes if fresh ones are out of season and taste before adding salt.

Serving Suggestions

  • Serve with Maltese bread to mop up the sauce
  • Spoon over spaghetti or short pasta
  • Pair with patata l-forn
  • Add a green salad on the side

Traditional Notes & Tips

  • Maltese sausage is usually salty, garlicky, and flavoured with coriander seed
  • Taste before adding extra salt
  • Some families split the sausage into smaller pieces before simmering
  • Peas add sweetness and are common in home versions
  • The sauce should be thick and glossy, not watery

Recipe adapted from Maltese Recipes.

Storage

No specific storage guidance is provided in the source recipe.

Freezing

Check the recipe notes for any dish-specific freezing guidance.

Reheating

Follow current food-safety guidance and reheat cooked food thoroughly where appropriate.

Keep cooking

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