Ina Garten roasted sausages, peppers & onions make an easy family dinner with no skillet to scrub. Everything roasts in the oven, so the peppers and fennel brown while the sausages crisp on a second pan. It serves six, so it fits a weeknight or a casual dinner party.
Pan size is what decides how this turns out. Use a big 14 by 18-inch shallow roasting pan, because crowded vegetables steam instead of browning and you lose the sweet, caramelized edges.
Source: Modern Comfort Food (2020)
Ina Garten Roasted Sausages, Peppers & Onions
Course: DinnerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy6
servings25
minutes50
minutes675
kcalItalian sausages roast until browned and juicy while peppers, onions and fennel go soft and sweet around them. White wine and burst cherry tomatoes make a light pan sauce, finished with fresh basil and grated Parmesan.
Ingredients
2 large yellow onions, cut in 1/2-inch-wide wedges through the core
2 large Holland red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut in 1/2-inch strips
2 large Holland orange bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut in 1/2-inch strips
2 large poblano peppers, seeded and cut in 1/4-inch strips
1 medium fennel bulb, halved, cored, and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed in your hands
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Good olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into links
1 pound hot Italian sausage, cut into links
1 pint red cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions
- Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange two racks evenly spaced in the oven.
- Roast the vegetables and sausages: Put the onions, Holland peppers, poblano peppers, fennel, garlic, oregano, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper in a large (14 x 18-inch), shallow roasting pan. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and toss well. (Don’t crowd everything in a smaller pan; the vegetables won’t brown.) Separately, on a sheet pan, toss the sausages with 2 tablespoons olive oil and spread them out in one layer. Place both pans in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Combine and finish roasting: Toss the vegetables and transfer the sausages to the roasting pan. Add the tomatoes. Pour in the wine and roast for another 25 to 30 minutes, turning the sausages to brown evenly. Off the heat, sprinkle on the basil, toss well, taste for seasonings, and serve hot with grated Parmesan on the side.
FAQs
Can I use regular bell peppers instead of Holland peppers?
Yes. Holland peppers are just the thick-walled red and orange bells you see wrapped in plastic, so any large sweet bell works here. Keep the poblanos if you can find them, since they bring the mild heat and smoky note that separates this from a standard sausage and peppers. If poblanos are missing, one seeded jalapeno gets you close.
How long do the leftovers keep?
Four days in the fridge in a covered container, and the flavor actually deepens overnight as the peppers sit in the pan juices. Reheat in a 375 degree oven for about 12 minutes rather than the microwave, which turns the peppers watery. I would skip freezing it, because the fennel and peppers come back mushy.
Can I prep any of it ahead?
Slice the onions, peppers, fennel and garlic up to a day ahead and keep them in a bag in the fridge. That takes the longest part of the work off your plate. The roasting itself is best done right before you eat, since the vegetables lose their edges as they sit.
What pan do I actually need?
A large shallow roasting pan, 14 by 18 inches, plus a separate sheet pan for the sausages. Both go in the oven at once on two evenly spaced racks. A deep-sided casserole traps steam and the vegetables will never brown, so shallow matters more than fancy.
What goes wrong most often with this recipe?
Crowding. People reach for a smaller pan, the vegetables pile up, and everything steams into a soggy mess instead of roasting. Use two pans if that is what you have. The other slip is not turning the sausages during the second roast, which leaves one pale side.
