Sautéed Italian Sausage with Onions and Peppers

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Searing sweet Italian sausage in a dry skillet renders the fat, resulting in a deliciously crispy sausage. Tender bell peppers add a welcome vegetal sweetness to this one-pan dinner while they cook down in a blend of savory chicken broth and tangy vinegar perfect for sopping up with crusty bread. Sausage, peppers, and onions is a great dinner to pair with a red wine, says sommelier Theo Lieberman of Pasquale Jones in New York City, who provided the inspiration for this recipe. To go with the sausage, peppers, and onions, he says, "I've been digging Forlorn Hope's Queen of the Sierra red—I like it chilled. It's easy to drink and lends itself to all kinds of food."

Sautéed Italian Sausage with Onions and Peppers
Photo: Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Active Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 4 (6- to 7-ounce) sweet Italian pork sausages

  • 3 medium bell peppers (mix of yellow, red, and green), sliced (about 5 loosely packed cups)

  • 1 large red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 3 cups)

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced (about 11/2 tablespoons)

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick Italian sausages all over using a knife. Place sausages in a cold large ovenproof skillet. Cook over medium-high, flipping occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 14 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Do not wipe skillet clean.

  2. Add bell peppers and onion to skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until vegetables are well coated in tomato paste and garlic is tender and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and vinegar. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Boil, stirring often, until liquid has almost completely reduced, about 6 minutes. Return sausages to skillet.

  3. Transfer skillet to preheated oven, and roast until vegetables are tender and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion of sausages registers 160°F, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand until cool enough to handle, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.

Suggested Pairing

Forlorn Hope Queen of the Sierra red

Originally appeared: April 2022

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