Sausage & Peppers

We eat everything and are very experimental when it comes to trying new things.  But we do have our favorites too.  We can only try new things for so long before we start craving some of our old favorites, and then we just have to have them.  It is almost like we are recharging our batteries.  Once we have been satisfied, and have had our favorites, then we can go back to trying new things again.  And the cycle starts all over.  It is a pattern and rhythm we have got that seems to work well for us.  One of these favorites and a staple of ours is good old fashioned sausage & peppers.  We use a variety of sausages and a lot of fresh vegetables.

I like a lot of color and textures in most the things I cook, and I love using fresh herbs.  I use all colors of bell peppers, red onions, Roma tomatoes and mushrooms.   Then added the finishing touches of fresh basil, thyme, marjoram and oregano.

Cook the sausages separately until they are browned on all sides.  These were chicken Parmagiano sausages, but you can used whatever kind you like.   Our local Sprouts offers a wide variety of homemade sausages, and we have tried them all for a lot of different dishes.  They are all delicious.

After the sausages are cooked, remove them and set aside.  Using the left over grease, some additional olive oil and about 1 cup of dry white wine, saute the peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) for about 7-10 minutes or until the peppers are slightly softened and the onions are translucent.  Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the sausage drippings.

Once your onions and peppers are softened, add the tomatoes, fresh herbs, seasonings and sausages.  Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook for about another 10-15 minutes. You want the tomatoes to break down to make a light tomato sauce.

Serve over pasta and top with either Mozzarella or Parmagiano if you like.  We served it with garlic and herb cheese bread.  I served a nice bold red blend to complete the meal.  Manga.

 

Sausage & Peppers

1 1/2 lbs sausage of your choice

red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers sliced thin

red onions, sliced thin

mushrooms, sliced

Roma tomatoes, medium dice

garlic

red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

1 cup dry white wine

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

fresh basil, oregano, marjoram and thyme