How hot is Ricci's hot Italian sausage?

Medium heat that builds slowly — you feel it on the third bite, not the first. The sweet Italian sausage is the same recipe without the pepper.

Where can I buy hot Italian sausage in Pittsburgh?

At Ricci's, 500 Pine Hollow Road in McKees Rocks — by the piece from the case, on a sandwich from the counter, or shipped frozen nationwide.

Does Ricci's deliver hot sausage?

Hot sausage ships nationwide, frozen, as part of the Pittsburgh Italian Pack. Local orders are pickup — call 412-331-9531 ahead and it's ready at the counter.

Ricci's famous hot sausage sandwich, made in Pittsburgh since 1945

Hot Sausage · Pittsburgh, PA

Hot Italian Sausage,
the Pittsburgh Way.

If you grew up here, you know the sandwich. Ricci's hot Italian sausage has been made in McKees Rocks since 1945 — crushed red pepper, real paprika, whole fennel seed, heat that builds slow instead of punishing you. Pat McAfee's pick on ESPN GameDay.

Ship It · Pittsburgh Pack The Famous Sandwich

$6.75 on a roll at the counter · $3.50/pc from the case · Ships nationwide in the Pittsburgh Italian Pack

What Makes It Ours

Hot, Not Punishing.

Plenty of places in Pittsburgh sell something labeled hot sausage. Ours is the version an Italian grandmother would recognize: heat that shows up on the third bite, not the first, built from crushed red pepper and real paprika — never liquid extract. We hand-mix it in 200-pound batches in the same McKees Rocks building where the Ricci family started in 1945, with whole fennel seed we refuse to buy ground, 22–25% fat, natural casing, and no MSG, fillers, or preservatives.

It's USDA-inspected every day, a standard we've held since 1973 — one of only two USDA-inspected sausage makers in Pittsburgh with a retail counter, and the only one that cooks.

Three Ways to Get It

Sandwich, Case, or Doorstep.

Questions

FAQ

How hot is Ricci's hot sausage?

Medium — it builds. Most people who say they don't like spicy food still finish the sandwich. If you want zero heat, the sweet Italian sausage is the same recipe without the pepper.

Where can I buy it in Pittsburgh?

At our shop — 500 Pine Hollow Road, McKees Rocks, ten minutes from downtown. By the piece from the case or on a sandwich from the counter.

Can I get it delivered?

It ships nationwide, frozen, inside the Pittsburgh Italian Pack. Local lunch and dinner is pickup — call ahead and it's ready when you walk in.

Keep Exploring

Get Early Access &
Members-Only Recipes.

Seasonal bundles, shop specials, and a Ricci family recipe in your first email.

Hot Italian Sausage,
the Pittsburgh Way.

Hot, Not Punishing.

Sandwich, Case, or Doorstep.

The famous sandwich · $6.75

Fresh from the case · $3.50/pc

Shipped in the Pittsburgh Pack