Sausages,Peppers, and Onions - In the Name of Versatility

Cooking becomes more fun and easier when you are able to "whip up" a dish quickly, without having to scramble for ingredient or look at a recipe while cooking. But getting to that place, where you are able to get it together quickly and "effortlessly" (it never is effortless is it?) is really a function of how much practice one has. The more you practice a dish, the better you get at it, the more you know it, the more you feel free to sort of "wing it" (instead of those oh-so-precise measurements we do when getting to know a recipe).

So sometimes, the way to get practice is to have a dish that can move in a few different directions. If a dish is versatile, then you can serve it week after week and it will be different each time - but it gets EASIER for you as the cook each time. Family benefits because they aren't bored of the dish, and cook benefits because it becomes an easy thing to make, simply because it's been practiced.

So this dish - the Sausage with Peppers and Onions - is great, because it can be served in a sandwich (like my picture), served over pasta, or served as a main with some sort of other starch and salad on the side.

I did mine this time as a sandwich with a lightly dressed arugula salad on the side. It was a hit with kids and husband, and at one point, older daughter commented that she "needed some pasta to wipe up the sauce."

The recipe calls for red bell peppers, but I only had yellow lying around the house. I also used turkey sausage and I added some anaheim chilis for a bit of heat to the dish, but didn't use the crushed red pepper flakes. The recipe itself is a great base that allows you to play around with it. The additional benefit is that you can eat it one way for dinner, and any leftovers can be turned into its other variation.

Serving suggestions:
Over creamy polenta
Over pasta
Stuffed in a roll

VERSATILITY is a great thing!

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions (adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 red or yellow bell peppers, sliced 
1 Anaheim chili (or a jalapeno if you like it a bit spicier)
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup wine (white, red, whatever you have around that needs to be used up)
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls, optional 
 
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.
Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.


Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
Serve in bowls. Or, if serving as a sandwich, split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.

Printable recipe