3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch-thick strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium white onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 uncooked Italian sausages (approximately 3/4 pound), sweet or spicy
1/4 teaspoon finely chopped Italian hot cherry peppers (optional)
2 cups tomato sauce, homemade or your favorite bottled sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toss the pepper strips in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle a little salt on them, and place them on a baking sheet under the broiler until they are tender and the skins start to blacken, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté the onions in the remaining olive oil until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the sausage casing along the entire length of the sausage. Remove the sausage from the casing, add it to the pan with the onions, and discard the casing. As the sausage cooks and browns, use a wooden spoon to break it up into crumbly pieces. Continue cooking the sausage until nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
Add the roasted bell peppers to the pan, along with the chopped cherry peppers, if you're using them. Now add the tomato sauce and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and let the whole thing simmer for about 10 minutes until the thin liquids have evaporated and the whole thing has a nice, saucy texture. Taste and season if needed.
Recipe Notes
- You can also use bulk sausage without casings.
This recipe has been updated - first published November 2009.