Was it pork? Usually the culprit when pork sausage is dry is one of three things. Either too little fat, too little salt, or UNDER mixing. I use the Kitchenaid paddle and mix sausage until it's sticky and pasty. It took me a while to get the hang of it though. My first few batches were also dry and crumbly. I started adding nonfat dry milk powder which solved the problem, but I wanted to be able to do it the right way without additional binders. I finally figured out my problem was too little salt and under mixing. I still use the nfdm though. I feel like it gives it a little extra richness and moisture. Probably all in my head, but then again it's my head and my sausage, so it works for me.
As to what to do with the dry sausage, there is a recipe we make a couple times a month here that might work.
It doesn't really have a name, we just call it "that sausage pasta stuff". I first saw it on Food Wishes.
1 lb sausage.
1/2 lb pasta. We usually use shells. Recipe calls for orchiette, or however you spell it.
1 quart LOW SODIUM ( very important) chicken stock.
2 cups chopped arugula.
Start by browning the sausage in a large frypan. Drian off any grease. Then dump in the uncooked pasta and enough chicken stock to just cover it. Set heat on medium high and bring to a boil, then drop heat to medium low to maintain a vigorous simmer. Not quite a rolling boil, but more than a gentle simmer. Make sense? Stir occasionally until the stock has evaporated/been absorbed. Add more stock to cover pasta. Bump heat up to bring back to a simmer, then lower again to maintain. Repeat process until pasta is tender and all stock has been added. You're reducing the stock quite a bit, and there is salt in the sausage, so if you use regular stock or broth it'll be way too salty.
Once all th stock is in and th pasta is tender, kill the heat and add the arugula. It will look like way too much, but it'll wilt almost instantly and all will fit. Your sauce should be thick and creamy like risotto, and the pasta should have a velvety al dente texture.
Arugula is a peppery green and a has a really strong taste. Some people hate it. If you don't like it, baby spinach works well too.
