Skillet Sweet Italian Sausage and Peppers for 6

Ingredients / 6

• 2¼ lb fresh raw sweet italian sausage
• 4½ bell peppers, sliced into thick strips
• 3 yellow onions, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, to finish

Equipment

A wide skillet with a lid; an instant-read thermometer. Medium heat.

Let’s make supper

1. 01

   Prep the batch

   Start with refrigerated, fully thawed raw sausage. Slice the peppers and onions, mince the garlic and measure the remaining ingredients. Brown the links in batches, then divide the final simmer between two skillets if one pan is crowded.

2. 02

   Brown the links

   Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown whole sausages on all sides for about 6 minutes, in batches if needed. Transfer to a plate; they are not cooked through yet.

3. 03

   Soften the vegetables

   Cook peppers and onions in the same pan for 8–10 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and oregano for the final minute. Pour in the broth and scrape up the browned bits.

4. 04

   Simmer and check

   Return the links and their juices, cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. Check the thickest part of every link with an instant-read thermometer: 160°F (71°C). Keep cooking any link below that temperature. Color and elapsed time do not establish doneness.

5. 05

   Reduce and finish

   Remove cooked links while any others finish. Uncover the vegetables and reduce the juices for 3–5 minutes. Finish with parsley and taste the vegetables before adding salt: the mild sausage should not disappear under extra seasoning.

The skillet rule: Brown first, combine later. Keep the simmer gentle and uncover at the end to reduce the pan juices.