Sausage & Peppers
If you have ever visited any one of our nation's Little Italy's, you have no doubt come across {or eaten} sausage and peppers. It is typical street fair food and variations of this recipe are featured on the menus of many Italian-American restaurants. In Lidia Bastianich's newest cookbook, Lidia's Italy in America, Lidia explains that although sausage and peppers seems to be a quintessential Italian dish, bell peppers are a New World ingredient that were introduced to Italy after the discovery of the Americas. They were quickly adopted into Italian cuisine and are now an integral ingredient in many traditional Italian recipes. When Italian immigrants arrived in America, they incorporated bell peppers into many of the Italian-American dishes we eat today, such as sausage and peppers.
I made this recipe a few weekends ago after Peter and I visited Revival Market, a small, independent grocery store in The Heights, a historical and beautiful neighborhood of Houston. Revival Market sells produce, cheeses, jams, honey, and condiments from local farms and purveyors, and a variety of breads made by Slow Dough Bread Company, as well as several other artisanally produced foods. We have fallen in love with Slow Dough's pretzel rolls, and made sure to go home with a bag after our first visit. I knew they would be the perfect vehicle to hold a juicy sausage link bathed in a spicy-sweet sauce of red bell peppers, onions and tomatoes.
The secret to making sausage and peppers successfully is to caramelize the ingredients separately first. Browning the sausages seals in the juices and crisps the outer casing just enough. The onions and bell peppers need time to sweat and render out most of their water before they begin to soften and sweeten with the help of fruity extra-virgin olive oil. Once all of the ingredients have had the opportunity to develop their flavors separately, they can then be combined at the end of the cooking process where an intense and rich flavor develops.
I used Lidia's recipe as a guide but made it my own with some additions and subtractions. Lidia's recipe calls for fresh garlic cloves, hot pickled cherry peppers and mushrooms, all of which I left out. I like garlic, but preferred to omit it from this recipe, and I don't care for hot pickled peppers or mushrooms. I did decide to add a 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes with their juice because I wanted more liquid in my version of this recipe so that the sausages and peppers could simmer in a light sauce, which I allowed to slowly reduce until it had a thicker consistency. To add some spice, I used dried red pepper flakes which gave the sauce a bit of heat without overpowering the fennel-scented flavor of the sausage.
Sausage and peppers is traditionally served on a hoagie roll, but it can also easily be served on top of pasta, or my favorite way--on top of a steaming puddle of polenta. It is a quick one-dish recipe that is perfect for a weeknight dinner and easy enough to make in a large quanity to feed a crowd. It is a recipe that is as versatile as it is delicious.
Sausage & Peppers
Adapted loosely from Lidia's Italy in America by Lidia BastianichBefore I brown sausage, I like to boil the links for about 2-3 minutes in unsalted water. I find that doing this renders out any excess fat from the sausage that can make the final dish greasy. I have not found this step to compromise the juicyness of the sausage since I do not boil the sausages long enough for them to cook through completely. I have included this step in my directions, but feel free to skip it.
3 T. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 mild Italian sausage links
1 medium-size yellow onion {or 2 small ones}, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers {or a combination of red, orange or yellow}, cut into thin strips
1 tsp. salt, divided
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juiceFill a 3 quart pot with water and bring to a steady boil. Place the sausage links in the boiling water and boil them for 2-3 minutes. Remove the sausages to a plate and set aside to cool slightly.
In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the sausages on both sides and remove to a clean plate. Set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the pan and add the sliced onions. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and sauté until the onions have softened and are a light golden color, about 10 minutes. Next, add the sliced bell peppers and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and toss gently to coat the peppers with the olive oil and incorporate them with the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and place the lid on the pan for about 10 minutes. This will allow steam to develop, which will help the peppers soften. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to periodically toss the peppers and onions so that they do not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Adjust the heat accordingly.
Once the peppers have softened, remove the lid and add in the red pepper flakes and the diced tomatoes with the juice and toss the ingredients together to incorporate. Add in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and mix well. Bring the vegetables to a gentle simmer then place the lid partially on the pan for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
When the sauce has reduced and thickened in consistency, add the sausage links to the vegetables and toss them to coat them with the sauce. Simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes to heat the sausages through. Serve hot.
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Looks delicious!! I'm going to have to make this; haven't had this in a while!
I am so going to use your tips for sausage & peppers. My mom used to make it quite a bit, but I haven't broken out her recipe in ages. I'm excited to update it a bit...thank you!
I love this! and you! As always it was delicious and appreciated!
Be still my heart. Love this.
This looks fantastic, Flavia! When Pete and I were lving in Boston, one of our favorite Italian restaurants served a similar dish. I used to get it often! I've never tried to recreate it at home but you've inspired me. Thank you!!
Such an easy weeknight dinner. Thanks!
My mouth is watering after reading your post. I can almost smell the aroma coming out of my screen. I love that you added tomatoes to your version! My family always used just peppers and onions.
By far one of my most comforting and favorite meals...even better in that amazing bread you have there! Love this Flavia! need to get that cookbook :)
This is such a classic dish and sounds absolutely wonderful.