Italian Sausage and Peppers is one pan, big flavor: golden sausages bubble in a tangle of peppers and onions until everything turns saucy and tender. Spoon over creamy polenta, tuck into a roll, or twirl with pasta ~ your call.
Growing up in the NYC suburbs, sausage and peppers were a staple ~ tossed with pasta, spooned over polenta, piled into crusty rolls, or eaten straight from the skillet. This version uses sweet Italian sausage (you use spicy if you like) that plays off sweet onions and peppers ~ the tangy tomato sauce pulls it all together. Grab authentic links for those little fennel pops in every bite. So. Good.
how to pull off sausage and peppers like an Italian
This easy sausage and peppers recipe is a one skillet dinner that doesn’t take itself too seriously. From start to finish it takes about an hour, and most of that time is hands off.
- Buy a package of Italian sausage, sweet or hot, it’s your call. I suggest the fresh high quality types, from the butcher counter.
- Grab some colorful bell peppers and a big firm yellow onion. You already have garlic, yes?
- Choose a large jar of premium tomato sauce (it’s worth the extra cost.) For this I happened to use Michael’s of Brooklyn and I used the whole jar.
- Locate your heftiest skillet and brown the sausage in olive oil.
- Slice your onions and peppers nice and chunky, and fry them up too.
- Deglaze with a bit of wine for flavor, then add the tomato sauce and some dried herbs, cover the skillet and let it gently bubble until tender, thick and glossy.
Tip: I used my Microwave Dried Herbs in this dish and they were fabulous…that technique has proved to be such a great idea. The microwave preserves flavor AND color, and it’s so convenient I’m using dried herbs a lot more often now.
serving sausage and peppers
Back in Italy you’ll find salsiccia e peperoni (peppers stewed with onion/olive oil, sometimes tomato) from regions like Sicily, Calabria, Campania served straight from the skillet with its juices, maybe deglazed with a splash of white wine, plus crusty bread on the side.
Here in the US we have many ways to serve Sausage and Peppers ~ classic over creamy polenta (as shown), twirled with pasta, tucked into a crusty roll, or spooned onto rice, mashed potatoes, farro, wheat berries ~ even warm lentils. However you serve it it’s a cozy comforting meal that won’t break the bank.
Sausage and peppers is the kind of meal that causes dinnertime stampedes, so be forewarned.
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Easy Sausage and Peppers Recipe
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
sausage and peppers
- 6-8 uncooked Italian sausage links, hot or mild
- olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 32 ounces tomato sauce, or pasta sauce
- 1 Tbsp mixed dried Italian herbs, i.e. thyme, basil, sage, marjoram, oregano, etc.
- 3-4 bell peppers, mix of colors, halved and sliced
- 1/2 cup red wine
- salt and cracked black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Add a nice layer of olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Working in batches, brown the sausages all over, turning often. Take the time to get them nicely browned, as this will create good flavor. Don't be tempted to prick the sausages as that will just release all their juices. Set the sausages aside on a plate.
- Add the onions and 1 teaspoon of salt to the skillet and sauté until softened and beginning to turn golden, scraping up any browned bits from the pan as you stir them. They will reduce down in bulk. Add the garlic a few minutes before the onions are done.
- Make a space on the bottom of the pan and add the tomato paste. Stir for a minute or so to caramelize it. Add the dried herbs and the peppers to the pan and give everything a good stir. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and let it bubble for a minute or two.
- Add the tomato sauce and give everything a good stir. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sausages back into the pan, nestling them down into the sauce. Bring the pan up to a simmer.
- Cover the skillet and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked through. Taste the sauce to adjust the seasonings.
- If you'd like to serve your sausage and peppers over polenta, I've included a basic recipe below in the notes.
Notes
- 1½ cups medium/coarse polenta
- 6 cups water or light stock
- 1½–2 tsp kosher salt
- Finish: 1 cup warm milk or half-and-half, 3 Tbsp butter, ¾–1 cup finely grated Parm
- Bring water + salt to a boil. Sprinkle in the polenta while whisking.
- Drop to a gentle simmer; whisk 2–3 minutes, then stir every couple of minutes until thick and smooth, 15–18 minutes.
- Off heat, whisk in warm milk/half-and-half, butter, and Parm. Salt to taste.
- Adjust texture with splashes of hot milk ~ I like it loose and spoonable.
Nutrition
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Whole family loved this!
This was my mom’s specialty and this is just how she made it.
Thanks for the review Lenore!