Sausage and Peppers

Stormy weather outside...makes me crave comfort food. When its not raining, you can make this on the grill, but tonight I'm cooking it up on top of the stove.

Start with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Thinly slice a good size onion and add to the pan.

Next comes the garlic...I added about 4 cloves tonight, but do what makes you happy.

Slice a couple of colored peppers...the more the merrier.

...and add them to the skillet, tossing well to coat with olive oil. A little salt and pepper is a good idea at this point.

Let the vegetables cook down for a few minutes until they start to soften and the onions are showing the first signs of carmelization. Then add the italian sausage. I went with sweet sausages tonight...picked them up from the butcher moments after they were made. Aren't they gorgeous?

Nestle the sausages in the pan, moving the veggies to the side so the meat is in direct contact with the pan.

Let this cook for a good 10-15 minutes, until the sausages start to brown on both sides and the veggies are very soft. Add 3-4 cups of crushed tomatoes, oregano and basil. I like to cut several small slits in each sausage at this point...it allows the sausage to flavor the pomodoro and the acidity from the tomato does great things to the meat. Cover and let cook for another 5 - 10 minutes.

By now, the sauce will have thickened and reduced, the peppers and onions are very soft and the sausages are cooked through and juicy. Time to eat!

You can serve it "straight up" with pretty much any side you like, lay it on pasta, or like I did tonight, make a sandwich. I had some rolls on hand, so I toasted one and then added some freshly grated parmesan for good measure. Delicious!