Italian Sausage Recipe

Prepare and brown sausages

Pat the sausages dry with paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages, spacing them so they don’t touch, and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes total. Transfer browned sausages to a plate and set aside. (They will finish cooking in the sauce.)

Slice vegetables

While sausages brown, core and seed the bell peppers and cut into 1/2-inch strips. Peel the onion and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Mince the garlic. Keep vegetables separate and ready.

Sauté peppers and onions

In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and reduce heat to medium. Add the sliced onions and peppers, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 8–10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Build the sauce

Stir the tomato paste into the vegetables and cook 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, sugar (if using), and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.

Finish sausages in sauce

Nestle the browned sausages into the simmering sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer until sausages are cooked through and flavors meld, 12–15 minutes (internal temperature for pork sausages should reach 160°F / 71°C). Uncover for the last 3 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce if needed.

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper or a pinch of sugar if needed. Sprinkle chopped parsley and grated Parmesan over the sausages and peppers. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side if desired.

Serving suggestion: Serve as an antipasti portion (split sausages between two plates) with crusty bread or polenta to soak up the sauce.