Recipe by Robin and Bruce
‘Way back when the millennium was new, my husband-to-be and
I moved in together and started cooking. Sausage and peppers was one of our
first comfort food recipes. I credit Bruce for the chipotle
pepper in adobo sauce (smoky preserved jalapenos), which spices up the
traditional Italian recipe. We quickly discovered that making large batches of
the recipe allowed us to either freeze half or share some with friends who were
tending sick or injured family members. Originally we served sausage and
peppers over wide noodles. On French bread is also traditional. These days we
prefer no-carb, all-veg spaghetti
squash.
With the rich variety of peppers available at Farmers’
Markets this month, feel free to get creative with the types and proportions of
peppers that you use. Try to include both bell peppers and sweet Italian frying
peppers, which appear long and thin. Corni di toro and Jimmy Nardello are
widely available. Do inquire about the “heat” of the peppers—even sweet
varieties can get a bit spicy at the end of the season. Go ahead and add one or
more fresh spicy peppers (jalapeno, Serrano. etc.) if you like, or increase the
number of minced chipotles in adobo.
I’ve written the recipe to make an enormous pan-full, to
take full advantage of the bounty of peppers that are available now at Farmers’
Markets and farm stands. I’ll freeze any leftovers that don’t go to neighbors
in need—for quick dinners during the holiday rush. Cut the recipe in half if
you prefer. Also, I’ve used locally crafted Aidell’s cooked chicken Italian
sausage. You can use any kind of precooked Italian sausage. Buon apetito!
serves ~10
3 medium onions
2 green bell peppers
1 yellow or orange bell pepper
6 assorted Italian frying peppers
2 tbsp. olive oil
8 plum tomatoes
2 or more large cloves garlic
1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 - 28 oz. can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
4 tsp. snipped, packed, fresh oregano
1 tsp. salt
8 precooked Aidell’s Italian sausages (2 pkg.)
Cut onions and bell peppers in half lengthwise and slice
into thin half moons. Slice Italian frying peppers into thin rings by cutting
crosswise.
Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium high heat (I use
an electric skillet for even heating). Add olive oil, then onions, bell
peppers, and frying peppers. Sauté until they soften, stirring up frequently
from the bottom, about 6 – 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, mince the garlic and the chipotle
peppers in adobo sauce and set aside. Include as many chipotle pepper seeds
as you dare—the more seeds, the spicier the final dish. To estimate heat
factor, recall that these are roasted jalapenos.
When onions and peppers are softened, add garlic, chipotle
peppers, both cans of tomatoes, oregano, and salt. Stir to distribute liquids,
and bring to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add sausage and simmer 5 more minutes. Serve on French
bread, over wide noodles or bowties, or over spaghetti
squash.
Begin with a Variety of Fresh Peppers |
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