One Pan Sausage Peperonata

This easy take on a vibrant Italian vegetable dish paired with flavourful pork sausages is a deliciously versatile recipe to add to your year-round dinner repertoire. 

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 large cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper (or to taste)
• Pinch dried chili flakes
• 2 large bell peppers, sliced thickly
• 1 sweet or red onion, sliced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
• 4 smoked pork sausages  
• Chopped fresh parsley or basil (optional) 
• Toasted sausage buns, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Whisk oil with vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and chili flakes. 
3. Combine peppers and onions in a roasting pan or large, oven-proof skillet. Drizzle with oil mixture and toss to combine. 
4. Roast peppers and onions for 30 minutes. Stir tomatoes into the pan and nestle sausages into vegetables.
5. Roast, stirring vegetables and turning sausages occasionally, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables have a soft, melting texture and internal temperature of sausages registers 160°F (71°C). 
6. Sprinkle vegetables with parsley (if using). Serve sausages in toasted buns (if using) topped with peperonata.  
7. Alternate Stovetop Method: Combine peppers and onions and oil mixture in a large skillet set over medium-low heat; cover and cook, stirring often 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; nestle sausages into skillet. Cook, covered, stirring and turning sausages occasionally, for 15 minutes or until sausages are fully cooked and vegetables are soft and melting. 

TIPS: 

Replace the smoked sausages with any preferred fresh pork sausages such as Italian or bratwurst, adding an additional 5 minutes to the cook time (or as needed). 

Want to skip the bun? Toss 1 lb halved baby potatoes into the pan to roast along with the peppers and onions or serve sausages and the peperonata over hot, buttered noodles or rice.