This isn’t your run-of-the-mill sausage and pepps from CitiField. Though I do loves me some Premio stand, ballpark sausage. Remember baseball games? Those were cool.
Anyway, my mom has been making sausage and peppers this way (with tomatoes) for a while and I have to say, I’m hooked. I have switched over to the dark side.
To be fair, I don’t eat them this way on a sandwich, though I suppose you absolutely could, but I honestly just enjoy eating this in a big bowl, sprinkled with maybe a bit of parm and…don’t judge me…Frank’s Red Hot.
Shhhh. LET ME LIVE.
It’s so good. Just trust me. Something about the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste brings out a slightly sweet flavor to the dish, and it just makes it juicier all around. Frank’s just kicks it up a notch. I actually salivated while typing that.
Notes:
I like sweet italian sausage for this, but you can use hot or mix it up and do half and half!
If you don’t have a Frywall, this is the perfect time to invest. It keeps the splattering within the Frywall, so you don’t have to worry about sausage grease and olive oil splattering all over your floor and your backsplash. My mom swears by them now, I’ve gotten her hooked. Buy one here right from my Amazon shop.
Whenever I make something that calls for “tomato water”, that means I use the same can that the tomatoes came in. I measure the water with a measuring cup, then add it to the can and slosh it around so it gets that extra tomato sauce goodness mixed in. Voila: tomato-water.
Now, without further adieu…
Mom's Sausage and Peppers
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green pepper, sliced
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup tomato-water (see notes above)
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until browned on both sides, 8-10 mins. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the peppers, salt, black pepper, and continue cooking until both the onions and peppers soften and get a little brown, about 5 mins.
- Add the garlic, basil, oregano and tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and tomato water, stir together and scrape up any bits that stick to the bottom of the pan. Add red pepper flakes in now too if you’re using them. Bring mixture to a simmer.
- Cut the sausages on the bias (diagonal) or in slices. About 1/4-inch thickness. I like to cut them on the bias, but it really doesn’t matter. Add sausages back to the pan and stir together to coat, then let cook for 15-20 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Serve in a big bowl, then top with more fresh basil and parm if you wish (and I beg you to try a few dashes of Frank’s Red Hot too)! Enjoy 🙂
