Sausage & Peppers

"One of my go-to dishes is sausage and peppers, because it's so easy to make, requires minimal ingredients, and is versatile. I usually keep some hot Italian sausages in the freezer so I can make this; as long as I have tomato sauce, garlic, onions, and peppers, I'm pretty much all set. You can adjust the recipe to be spicy or not spicy."

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 4-6 bowls served with pasta/rice

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  large red bell peppers, seeded and cut in 1-inch thick strips
• 1  garlic clove, minced
• 1  medium  white onion, cut in thin strips lengthwise (not rings)
• 2  Italian sausages
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  finely chopped  cherry pepper (OPTIONAL! Spicy!)
• 2 1⁄2 cups tomato sauce (home-made or store-bought, both are fine)
•  salt & pepper

Directions

1. Toss the pepper strips in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle a little salt on them and place them in a pan under the broiler until they are tender and the skins start to blacken.
2. In a large skillet saute the onions and garlic in the remaining olive oil until soft. Take the sausages and with your fingers, break them up in bite-sized chunks - you do not want to slice them because you want them to have a crumbly texture - and add them to the pan and cook until nicely browned. Add the roasted peppers to the pan along with the chopped cherry peppers if you're going spicy. Now add the tomato sauce and stir well. Add some salt & pepper to your taste, and let the whole thing simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the thin liquids have evaporated and the whole thing has a nice, saucy texture. Taste and season if needed.
3. This is wonderful served over pasta, but is also really good on polenta, pizza, or as a calzone stuffing. Or you can just pile it in a bowl and eat away! Grate some fresh Parmesan or Romano over it. Pairs well with garlic bread and a hearty red wine.