This is an easy recipe for sausages and peppers that you can choose to finish cooking on the stove or in your slow cooker. It is great served over pasta, or you can cut up the finished sausages into large pieces and serve it as an appetizer at a party or before an Italian dinner.
TIPS: Using high quality Italian sausages makes a difference here. If I use hot Italian sausages I do not add the red pepper flakes, but I do if I use mild sausages. If you choose to finish the sausages by simmering on top of the stove, you may need to add a bit of water if the tomato sauce gets too thick. I have also substituted 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs for half of the sausages, browning them first just like the sausages, then finish cooking them in the tomato sauce the same way along side the sausages, and its delicious.
Sausages and Peppers
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 8 Italian sausage links (hot or mild)
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
- 1 large onion thin slices
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2 C dry red wine
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- In a large frying pan or sauté pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the sausages on all sides, about 8 minutes. Sausages will not be cooked through at this point. Remove sausages from pan and set aside.
- In the same pan add the sliced onion and peppers and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium heat, partially covered, stirring often until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes if using. Saute for about a minute until garlic is fragrant. Add the red wine and deglaze bottom of the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat about 5 minutes.
- Option 1 : Place the sausages in a slow cooker and top with the tomato sauce mixture. Cook on LOW for about 2 hours to finish cooking the sausages.
- Option 2 : Add the sausages back into the sauté pan with the tomato mixture and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, partially covered, to finish cooking the sausages through.
- Serve sausages and peppers alone as an appetizer or with a side dish of pasta. Top with fresh chopped basil before serving.
- Enjoy!