Italian sausage and peppers are one of my all-time favorite easy Italian dinners because they are so delicious and it takes no time to make. This recipe is delicious on its own or with some Italian bread for dipping.
This Italian sausage and peppers is the perfect make-ahead meal because it re-heats beautifully and the flavor only gets better the next day. Cooking Italian sausage on the stovetop is a little different than cooking sausage in the oven but the steps are just as easy..
This is one of my favorite recipes to make for my kids and I love it because it does not have pasta, just the peppers and the sausage making it really quick to cook.
I cook a similar dish to this one, my chorizo and peppers that is equally as delicious.
This Italian sausage and peppers recipe is easy to make and the perfect weeknight meal on busy evenings. Let me show you how easy it is to make so you can add it to your dinner rotation!
Ingredients Needed
- Italian Sausage. I prefer using a mild Italian sausage and adding in my own heat with red pepper flakes later. You could also use sweet Italian sausage or spicy.
- Green Bell Peppers. I really love the bitterness that green bell peppers add to this dish so I use lots of them.
- Red Bell Peppers. When I use red bell peppers I like to make sure that I am using less of this and more of the green or else the dish becomes too sweet.
- Red Onion. Sliced
- Fresh Garlic.
- Tomato. You only need one and it will cook almost completely down giving you a bit of a sauce.
- Olive Oil.
- Red Pepper Flakes.
- Kosher salt.
How to make stovetop Italian sausage and peppers
Making this Italian dinner is so simple. I like to cook the Italian sausages whole which is how I was taught by my Italian family but you could certainly cut up the sausage if you prefer. (full recipe below)
- Brown Sausage: Cook sausage and brown all sides
- Cover and cook: Once those Italian sausages are browned, cover them with a lid and allow them to fully cook through. It only takes about 15-20 minutes!
- Saute Peppers and onions: Now you remove sausages from the pan and cook up the peppers and onions in that delicious flavor left behind in the pan from the Italian sausage.
- Bring it all together: After 10 minutes, add the sausages back to the pot along with the garlic and diced tomatoes and mix well.
- Serve immediately with your favorite side.
Storing
This easy Italian sausage and peppers store really well. To make ahead of time, just follow the recipe until complete then allow to fully cool.
Place the Italian sausage peppers and onions in a large storage container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
To reheat, just add the sausage and peppers to a baking dish and bake (covered) in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until warmed through.
Helpful Faqs
No. By piercing sausage, you are allowing the juices to leave the sausage which can make them dry.
After browning the sausages, cooking them for an additional 20 minutes covered and allowing them to rest for 5 minutes after cooking should yield perfectly cooked sausages.
More Italian Recipes
If you love this sausage with peppers recipe, you will also like these:
Pairing Ideas
Now although I am a purist and prefer to enjoy this Italian dish as is, they go really well with many dishes. Here are some ideas:
Sausage and Peppers (Italian Style)
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 5 Mild Italian Sausage LInks in their casing
- 2 Green Bell Peppers Sliced thin into strips
- 1 Red Bell Pepper Sliced thin into strips
- 1 Large Red onion Sliced thin into strips
- 1 medium tomato Diced finely
- 3 cloves of garlic sliced thin
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt Plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add your olive oil and red pepper flakes.2 tablespoon Olive Oil, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Now add your sausage and brown all sides (about 5 minutes.)5 Mild Italian Sausage LInks
- After the sausages are browned, reduce heat to low and cover with a lid.
- Cook on low for another 20 minutes with the lid on making sure to rotate the sausages a couple times.
- After 20 minutes, remove sausages from the pan and set aside.
- In the same sauté pan over medium heat, add the green pepper, red pepper, onion and salt and cook for about 10 minutes until the peppers and onions begin to soften.2 Green Bell Peppers, 1 Red Bell Pepper, 1 Large Red onion, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- After 10 minutes, add the sausages back to the pot along with the garlic and diced tomatoes and mix well.3 cloves of garlic, 1 medium tomato
- Reduce heat to low and cover.
- Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately with your favorite side.
Notes
Make It Ahead Of Time:
If you are using this as a make-ahead meal, here is what you do: Storing: Allow the sausage to cool then place in an air-tight container in the fridge (for up to 3 days). Reheating: Place sausages and peppers in aluminum foil (and seal well) in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer hereTried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Emma says
I finally made juicy sausage! This recipe was so helpful