We were driving to a birthday party when I saw a sign for a pork store, and Dino remembered that our friends' father owned it. We had never been there before, so we stopped on the way back. They had a ton of homemade sausages, so we bought a sampling of them to make sausage and peppers with the next day. We used a combination of hot sausage, onion and pepper sausage, spiced sausage with mozzarella and regular sausage.
Dino cooked this up in the cast iron skillet with a few modifications - he omitted the chile and canned tomatoes. This is a classic Italian dish that tasted very authentic. Along with a big piece of bread, any New Yorker knows how to enjoy a meal like this.
Sausage and Peppers
Rocco DiSpirito
Yield 8 servings
1 red onion, minced
2 red peppers, roasted and cut 1/2-inch slices
2 yellow peppers, roasted and cut 1/2-inch slices
1 dried ancho chile
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 fresh basil leaves, torn
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
2 lbs. sweet Italian sausage
2 cups dry red wine
28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
Saute onions, peppers and chile in olive oil until onions are brown. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in garlic and basil. Add oregano. Hold aside.
Prick sausage all over with a fork. Saute in skillet over medium heat until brown. Add enough wine to cover about 2/3 of the sausage. Add Sauteed vegetables, tomatoes and any liquid. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Remove sausage and slice into 1-inch pieces. Can be served on pasta or with bread.
MacGourmet Rating: 4 StarsLabels: bell pepper, italian, red wine, rocco dispirito, sausage