Authentic Italian Sausage And Peppers

What is Italian Sausage And Peppers?

Italian Sausage and Peppers is an Italian-American dish made with sweet or hot sausage that is slow-simmered alongside slices of bell peppers and onions in a tangy tomato sauce. Sausage and Peppers can be served on its own with crusty Italian rolls (or sausage rolls) to create Italian Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches. It can also be served along with pasta to create a hearty Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta. This iconic Italian-American favorite can be found across the U.S. in Italian delis, family restaurants and in Nonna’s kitchen on Sundays.

Why You’ll Love This Italian Sausage And Peppers Recipe

There is so much to love about this timeless Italian-American classic. For starters, Italian Sausage and Peppers is super simple to prepare with just a few ingredients. Once you brown the sausage along with the peppers and onions on the stovetop, you place them all in one ovenproof pan or cast iron skillet to cook up. No fuss! This also means that cleanup is a breeze too.

Besides its practicality, Italian Sausage and Peppers is as good to look at as it is to eat. It really has it going on with all of its colors, flavors and textures. The presentation is eye-catching and effortless. Using an assortment of bell peppers (red, green, yellow and orange) is a way to heighten the colorful presentation of this sweet or spicy Italian sausage dish. It’s one of those versatile Italian recipes that can be served for special occasions or just another weeknight dinner.

Italian Sausage and Peppers can be served on its own with a salad and some garlic bread, with your favorite pasta shape or with Italian sausage rolls as sandwiches. It’s a classic comfort food recipe that will have all your favorite people running to the dinner table.

The Ingredients You Will Need To Make Italian Sausage And Peppers

Tomatoes: For us, not just any diced tomatoes will do. We create a rich tomato sauce using prized San Marzano Italian Tomatoes. These tomatoes are sauce-making perfection!

Dried Spices: We use dried garlic, basil, oregano and rosemary to create a bold flavored tomato sauce that can stand up to the zesty Italian sausage. Red pepper flakes come in for that extra kick! These are optional if you are already spicing things up with a hot sausage.

Olive Oil: Olive oil is at the heart of so many memorable Italian sauces, so make sure it’s a good one. We prefer to use a blend with a single country of origin.

Peppers and Onions: Peppers and onions are slowly simmered into the tomato sauce to add an earthy sweetness and additional texture to the dish. This is the kind of ingredient that takes the dish to another level.

Fresh Garlic: Fresh cloves of garlic bring that extra punch to your final dish. Add more if you’re a garlic lover!

Italian Sausage: There are so many kinds of sausages out there. Mild, sweet, spicy… hot! It all depends on who you are serving for this one. Spicy Italian sausage will really heat things up, but you can also keep your Sausage and Peppers recipe more on the mild end. Just choose sweet Italian sausage. Chicken sausage or turkey sausage is an option for those trying to keep things light.

How To Make Italian Sausage And Peppers

This dish is a great weeknight meal idea, as it takes just a few steps to prepare and the oven does all the work! All you need in one ovenproof pan or cast iron skillet to cook it up!

Top Tips

Looking for some tips for making the best Italian Sausage and Peppers? Here is some prep and cooking advice from our kitchen!

• Use the proper skillet! A cast iron skillet is preferred, but any ovenproof pan or skillet will do. You want a skillet that can heat on the stovetop and then be transferred to the oven and covered.

• Keep spice in mind. Depending on your dinner guests, you might want to tweak the spiciness. Remember that even sweet Italian sausage is a little zesty, but not hot. There is certainly a range. There are essentially three ways to control the heat of this dish: the kind of sausage that you use, the amount of red pepper flakes you add to the tomato sauce at the beginning and the sliced peppers you use. The standard is bell peppers, but if you want to turn up the heat you can choose a hotter pepper such as banana peppers. If you are serving a mixed crowd, you might want to keep the final dish mild but serve with red pepper flakes on the side, so individuals can add them to their own plate.

• Pepper prep. It is good practice to cut your veggies the same size consistently in a dish. This is so there is no variation in cooking. We prefer our peppers and onions sliced and chunky in this dish, but even if you like them thinner, just keep it consistent.

• To store leftovers, pack up Italian Sausage and Peppers in an air-tight container and refrigerate. Leftovers can keep this way for 3-4 days.

• To freeze leftovers, pack up Italian Sausage and Peppers in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container. Leftovers can be kept for up to 3 months or more. Thaw the leftovers in the refrigerator.

• To reheat leftovers, we recommend using a low setting on the stovetop, but you can also reheat in the microwave. We suggest a 50% power setting to start.

Substitutions And Additions

• If you’re looking for a way to lighten up this dish of Sausage and Peppers, you can opt for healthier kinds of sausage like chicken or turkey sausage.
• To continue with the healthy additions and adaptations, serve up your lighter Italian Sausage and Peppers variation with cauliflower rice or quinoa.
• Choose your heat. This recipe can be made for spicy food lovers or not. If you love the heat, opt for a spicy or hot sausage. Mild or sweet Italian sausage is zesty but without the heat.
• Spice up the tomato sauce with more red pepper flakes or slice up some spicy banana peppers instead of (or alongside) the sliced bell peppers.
• Likewise, up your garlic game if you love more garlic flavor. The addition of a few more cloves will amplify the garlicky goodness you love.
• Make it a pasta or a sandwich. While it can stand on its own, Italian Sausage and Peppers can easily become a sandwich or a pasta.
• Get cheesy! If you love cheese (and who doesn’t?), you can add some Parmesan cheese to your tomato sauce. Likewise, you can simply serve it with some freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano on top!

What To Serve With Italian Sausage And Peppers

Italian Sausage and Peppers is great all on its own, but if you want to shake things up a little, check out these ideas.

• Pasta! Create a hearty Italian Sausage and Peppers pasta dish using your favorite sturdy pasta shape. Be sure to select a cut that is good for capturing hearty sauces like tube shapes and corkscrews. Rigatoni, Penne Rigate, Fusilli and Fusilli Bucati are a few excellent choices. Or go with the classic Spaghetti. Whichever pasta you choose, don’t overcook it! Cook pasta to that signature al dente texture so it isn’t lost in your hearty Italian Sausage and Peppers Sauce. If you like, you can slice up your sausage links or serve them on top of the pasta.

• Create a hearty polenta. That famous cornmeal peasant food has made its rounds in Italian cuisine all around the world—from the humble family dinner table to the Italian fine dining scene. Serve it up as a thick and creamy porridge to be topped with Italian Sausage and Peppers or create a formed polenta slab to be cut or sliced and topped with the sausage and peppers.

• All about the bread. Choose a crusty Italian bread or French baguette to serve with your Italian Sausage and Peppers. Sopping up your zesty tomato sauce in a soft, pillowy starch is half of the fun!

• Sausage rolls, for the win! It’s no secret that adding a sausage roll or a crusty bakery baguette to the mix can turn this simple Italian Sausage and Peppers dish into an incredible sandwich situation. We love Italian Sausage and Peppers Sandwiches for game day eats.

• Keep it fresh. Like most bold tomato sauces, this dish really shines alongside a leafy green garden salad. The contrast of slow-simmered and hearty with light and fresh is one we love and think you will too.

• Potatoes in many ways. Even if you don’t want a hoagie roll or a pasta, consider another of your favorite starches. We love Italian Sausage and Peppers with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes and even fried potatoes or home fries on the stovetop.

Italian Sausage And Peppers: FAQ

Do Italians Eat Sausage And Peppers In Italy?

Yes, Italians eat Italian Sausage and Peppers in Italy. This has always existed in Italy, but it has been made into more of a traditional dish here in the U.S. Italian Sausage and Peppers was certainly a part of the early immigrant culture in Italian neighborhoods, at festivals and celebrations.

Where Did Sausage And Peppers Come From?

We can’t be certain where Italian Sausage and Peppers was first served, but it was a part of the early Italian immigrant culture of the 1900s. According to American recollection, Italian Sausage and Peppers was first served in 1927 during an Italian celebration known as the Feast of San Gennaro and subsequently at Italian street festivals all over the country. This is why Italian Sausage and Peppers is mostly considered an Italian-American dish. If a region of Italy were to lay claim to this popular recipe, it would probably be Southern Italy—the home of rich, bold, garlicky and often spicy cuisine.

Can I Make This Dish Ahead Of Time?

Yes, you can make Italian Sausage and Peppers ahead of time. It can be stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer. If you store Italian Sausage and Peppers in the freezer, give it time (at least 12 hours) to thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat slowly on the stovetop for the best taste and texture. If you choose to serve it with pasta or rice, store those separately from the sauce or make those just before serving with the reheated Sausage and Peppers sauce.

Authentic Italian Sausage And Peppers

• 2 (28-ounce) cans DeLallo Imported San Marzano Tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons DeLallo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 green bell peppers, sliced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 2 pounds sweet or hot Italian sausage, cut into 8 links

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Using a blender, purée the tomatoes. Place in a large bowl. To create the sauce, stir in the granulated garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a large cast iron skillet or oven-safe pan, heat the olive oil. Once hot, add in the peppers, onions and garlic. Cook together until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Arrange the sausages in the skillet on top of the cooked vegetables.
5. Add in the sauce over the sausage mixture. Cover and bake for 1 hour.
6. Remove from the oven to stir the ingredients. Cover and bake for 1 more hour. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.
7. Remove from the oven. Let the pan rest for 10 minutes before serving.

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