Hearty Italian sausage and bell peppers is a classic Italian-American dish made with browned sausage links, sautéed bell peppers and onions, and a light tomato-and-wine sauce. This colorful one-pan meal is ideal for sandwiches, pasta, or polenta, and it's ready in about 40 minutes.
For more hearty sausage recipes, try my pasta e fagioli or Italian sausage and potatoes.
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Quick Look: Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers
⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
🍳 Cook Time: 40 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 55 minutes
👥 Servings: 4
📊 Calories: ~595 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop-based
👩🍳 Main Ingredients: Sausage, peppers, onions
⭐ Difficulty: Easy: Everything cooks in one pan and makes a quick weeknight meal
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Why You'll Love Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers
Street food made at home: You don't have to wait for Italian festivals to eat this classic Italian-American sandwich when you can make it right at home.
One-pan ease: Everything cooks in one pan for maximum flavor and simple cleanup.
Layered flavors: Tri-colored peppers, salty pork, sautéed vegetables, tomato paste, and full-bodied red wine for complex flavors.
Hearty Italian sausage and bell peppers is a classic Italian-American dish, popularized by Italian immigrants to America and a mainstay at NYC's The Feast of San Gennaro.
For me, it was a common food I ate while growing up and was always sandwich material. The bread absorbs the generous filling before slowly falling apart, making it even more delicious.
I grew up mostly eating my mom's one-pan sausage and peppers, and my version is largely based on it. It's so delicious, I could almost eat the whole pan in one sitting if I don't restrain myself. Maybe you'll need the same willpower. It's just that good.
For more Italian-American and Italian-style sandwiches, try my peppers and eggs sandwich, potato and egg sandwich, eggplant sandwich with mozzarella, white pizza panini, or scrambled eggs with mozzarella cheese.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers
- Why You'll Love Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers
- Key Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How to Make Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers
- Pro Tips
- Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card for full ingredient and quantity information.
- Sweet Italian Sausage: Authentic Italian sausage is best for this recipe.
- Tomato Paste: This helps thicken the sauce and adds depth of flavor.
- Red Wine: Essential, as it adds body and more flavor to the recipe than white or no wine.
Variations & Substitutions
➢Use turkey or chicken sausage if you want something other than the pork variety.
➢Swap out the sweet sausage for hot Italian sausage for heat.
➢Use any bell peppers you like. You could use green peppers for less sweetness or cubanelles for a more delicate texture.
➢Add garlic powder (along with the fresh garlic) for a more concentrated flavor, as I do with these zucchini and eggs.
➢White wine is fine to use if you don't have red.
➢Omit the tomatoes if you'd like.
How to Make Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers
Step 1: Cook the sausage until the outside browns, 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Step 2: Heat the olive oil, then sauté the peppers and onions with salt until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic during the last 2 minutes.
Step 3: Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 30 seconds, then stir in the oregano and red pepper flakes, and stir for another few seconds.
Step 4: Pour in the wine and simmer for 3 minutes to reduce and burn off some of the alcohol.
Step 5: Pour in the diced tomatoes, add more salt, and simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 6: Return the sausage to the pan, and cook for another 8-10 minutes until fully cooked through.
Pro Tips
➢Prep some ingredients ahead of time: Slice the peppers and onions, mince the garlic, and cut the sausage earlier, which will make cooking this recipe that much faster at dinner time.
➢Make sure to brown the sausage first: This builds fond in the pan, which deepens the flavor of the peppers when they cook in the same skillet.
➢Use a potato masher to gently mash the diced tomatoes: Unless you're using petite diced tomatoes, gently mash them with a potato masher to help them soften and meld into the dish better.
Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers FAQs
Serve in sandwiches or with pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes.
I recommend pan-searing it for this recipe, which helps it brown on the outside and adds more flavor.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container and consume within 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Reheat in the oven, covered, at 350F until warmed through. You can also reheat in the microwave. If reheating from the freezer, thaw the sausage and bell peppers in the refrigerator first.
Related Recipes
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Hearty Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers
Ingredients
- 5 links sweet Italian sausage casings removed and sliced into 1" pieces (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 bell peppers one red, one yellow, and one orange, sliced into ¼" strips (Note 2)
- 1 yellow onion peeled and cut into ¼" slices
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided (¼ teaspoon + ¼ teaspoon) (Note 3)
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- ⅓ cup dry red wine
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid (Note 4)
- 2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil sliced thinly
Instructions
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook just until it browns (it can still be raw in the middle), about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Heat the olive oil in the same pan (you may need to lower the heat). Add the peppers, onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt, and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Toss in the garlic about 2 minutes before the peppers and onions are done, stirring often.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds to cook off the raw flavor, stirring constantly. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes and give them a quick, 30-second stir. Add the wine and simmer for 3 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices, the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and simmer the tomatoes for a few minutes until softened. Add the sausage back in, and cook for 8-10 minutes more so the sausage cooks completely through.
- Remove the pan from the heat and garnish it with the parsley and basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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This may be the best sausage and peppers I've ever had. Tastes so authentic, like what Italian sausage and peppers should be!