Sausage And Peppers
Ingredients
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- 2 pounds sweet Italian sausage links (~10.5 medium italian sausages)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions – thinly sliced
- 3 large bell peppers – seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt – divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper – freshly ground, divided
- 4 cloves garlic – thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds – lightly crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 14 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley – chopped (~0.5 n/a parsleys)
Instructions
1. Slice the onions and bell peppers, thinly slice the garlic, chop the parsley, and lightly crush the fennel seeds.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage links and brown on all sides until well colored, 8–10 minutes. Transfer sausages to a plate.
3. Spoon off excess fat so about 2 tbsp remain in the pan. Add the onions and bell peppers, season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned at the edges, 8–10 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and dried oregano. Cook until fragrant, 30–60 seconds.
5. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer until reduced by about half, 2–3 minutes.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Return the sausages and any accumulated juices to the pan, nestling them into the peppers and onions. Sprinkle in 0.25 tsp kosher salt.
7. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook until the sausages are cooked through (160°F/71°C) and the peppers are tender, 15–20 minutes.
8. Uncover and simmer to thicken the sauce to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency, 3–5 minutes.
9. Season with the remaining 0.25 tsp black pepper and adjust salt within the measured amount as needed.
10. Stir in the chopped parsley and let rest off heat for 5 minutes to settle the flavors.
11. Serve hot, spooning sausages, peppers, and sauce onto plates.
Sausage and peppers is a hearty skillet dish that balances sweet, savory, and gently spicy flavors. Juicy Italian sausages are paired with tender bell peppers and onions, all glazed in a light pan sauce that clings without feeling heavy. It’s comforting, deeply aromatic with garlic and oregano, and versatile enough to serve as a main on its own or alongside polenta, pasta, or bread.
Rooted in Italian-American cooking, this dish echoes southern Italian pairings of pork sausage with peppers but took on a life of its own in the United States. It became a street-fair staple, especially at New York’s Feast of San Gennaro, where it’s often tucked into long rolls. Over time, families and vendors developed both tomato-sauced and tomato-free versions, but the core technique of browning sausage and stewing it with peppers and onions has remained constant.