Sausage and Peppers
Italian sausage links browned until the skin blisters, then simmered with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes until the sauce comes together. An Italian-American street fair classic that works as a sandwich, over pasta, or straight from the pan.
Ingredients
- 600 gItalian sausages
- 2 red bell peppers
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 400 gcanned tomatoes
- 3 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspdried oregano
- ½ tspchili flakes
- 1 tspsalt
- ½ tspblack pepper
Method
- Slice the peppers into wide strips — 1.5–2 cm. Slice the onions into half-rings. Mince the garlic. Do not pierce the sausages.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages in a single layer and brown on all sides, turning every 3–4 minutes, until deep golden with blistered skin — about 12 minutes total. They don't need to be cooked through yet. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining oil and the onions. Cook over medium heat for 5–6 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the onions are soft and golden. Add the peppers and cook another 4–5 minutes until they soften slightly but still hold their shape.
- Add the garlic, oregano and chili flakes. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add the canned tomatoes, crushing them roughly with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Nestle the sausages back into the pan, pressing them into the sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for 12–15 minutes until the sausages are cooked through and the sauce thickens.
- Remove the lid for the final 3–4 minutes to reduce the sauce. Taste and adjust salt. Serve in hoagie rolls, over pasta, or on their own with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
FAQ
The main mistake is piercing the sausages before cooking. Pricking releases the fat that holds the moisture in, and you get dry, tight links. Cook them whole over medium heat — not high — turning every 3–4 minutes until the skin is genuinely dark and blistered, about 12 minutes total. They don't need to be fully cooked at this stage: they'll finish cooking in the sauce with the peppers over the next 12–15 minutes. High heat browns the outside fast but leaves the center raw; medium heat cooks them through evenly while still building proper color on the skin.
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Comments (1)
The pan needs to be properly hot before the italian sausages goes in for sausage and peppers. A lukewarm pan steams instead of sears. Wait until you see the faintest wisp of smoke — that's your signal.