Sausage and peppers is the quintessential Italian-American festival food. Found at street fairs across the New York metro area, this beloved dish is comprised of just a few ingredients: Italian sausage, red and green bell peppers, sliced onions, and copious amounts of olive oil. Served by itself, or on a hero/sub roll, this is the real deal New York-style recipe for sausage and peppers.
Summer is coming to an end here in New York, but that ushers in festival season.
On any given weekend, you can find festivals, such as San Gennaro, that crank out endless amounts of street food.
Zeppole or sfinci, pizza, calzones, and cannoli are all great, but there is one street festival food that reigns supreme: the sausage and peppers hero.
And this my friends, is the best version.
I've made sausage and peppers hundreds of times in my life, and have eaten even more, and my recipe below is reflective of all that research.
This is the tried and true sausage and peppers recipe that rivals that of any street fair!
Side dishes for sausage and peppers
You may be wondering, what to serve with sausage and peppers?
If you're having it in hero form, it is pretty much a meal unto itself.
But if you're serving this as an entree and not a sandwich, you may want to add a side dish.
Some of my favorite sides to serve:
- Pasta with simple marinara sauce
- Broccoli rabe sauteed with garlic and oil
- Garlicky Italian broccoli
- Escarole and beans with garlic and oil
Serving a crowd
One of my favorite times to serve sausage and peppers is when I need to serve a crowd.
Holidays, family gatherings, the Superbowl - really any time I want to make something ahead that can be kept warm on Sterno racks.
Some other Sterno-friendly recipes for gatherings include:
- Chicken Francese - Egg battered pan-seared cutlets with lemon, butter, and white wine sauce.
- Chicken Marsala - Egg battered chicken in a mushroom marsala wine sauce.
- Baked ziti - The ultimate pasta dish to feed a hungry crowd.
- Chicken pizzaiola - Similar to sausage and peppers, but with chicken and peppers in a pizza sauce.
- Eggplant rollatini - Breaded then fried eggplant wrapped around creamy ricotta.
What type of sausage?
Most of the time when you order a sausage and pepper hero, it will be served with either sweet fennel or hot (spicy) sausage.
My favorite type of sausage to use for sausage and peppers is sweet since hot peppers can be added afterward. More info about the peppers can be found below.
Use any type of Italian sausage you like. If you have access to a good pork store they'll often have many varieties to choose from.
If you plan to use chicken or turkey-based sausage, you may need to use more olive oil as turkey and chicken are less fatty and tend to be on the drier side.
Either way, be sure to use the best quality sausage you can find.
Since the ingredients in this recipe are very few, it's important you get the best quality possible.
Whole Foods (national store) and Uncle Giuseppe's (Long Island Italian supermarket) have great Italian sausage selections.
If you have an Italian pork store nearby, such as Iavarone Bros in New Hyde Park or A&S in Massapequa Long Island, that would be an even better option.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Place sausage links in a baking dish. Poke a couple of holes in each link and roast in the oven at 400f until mostly cooked through (about 20 minutes).
- Slice 3 bell peppers into strips as shown. You can use any color pepper you'd like.
- Slice the onions so they're similar in size to the pepper strips.
- Heat a large stainless steel pan to medium-low heat for 3 minutes. While the pan is heating up, pat dry the sausages of any excess moisture. Add a ¼ cup of olive oil to the pan and place the sausages into the pan.
- Cook the sausage links on all sides until well browned (about 10-15 minutes total).
- Remove the sausage links and set aside. You can lightly tent the sausage links with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining ½ cup olive oil to the pan and all the peppers and onions. Mix the peppers and onions around so that they are coated with the sausage fat and olive oil.
- After a couple of minutes of cooking add 3 ounces of water to the pan.
- Cover the pan so that the peppers and onions can cook quicker. I don't have a lid for my 14" fry pan so foil works great in a pinch.
- After 10 minutes remove the cover and the peppers and onions will be much softer. Add the salt, pepper, and oregano. Continue cooking for a few more minutes to allow any excess water to evaporate.
- Once most of the water has evaporated and the peppers and onions are very soft, return the sausage links back to the pan and mix together. You should have plenty of oil, but if you need a bit more, add it now. Sausage and peppers should have plenty of oil! Serve as is with Italian bread to mop up the oil and peppers and onions. Or, make a sausage and peppers hero which is never a bad idea!
Additions
Sausage and peppers are such a great base for additional ingredients.
When I want to change up my sausage and peppers game, I'll add some more peppers. Spicy peppers, that is.
If you've visited this site before, you know I adore hot cherry peppers and put them on almost everything, from Italian heroes, to pork chops.
They also happen to be the perfect addition to sausage and peppers.
If you like it even spicier, you can add Calabrian chili paste.
I also love adding roasted potatoes, or sun dried tomatoes to sausage and peppers.
But perhaps my favorite addition is adding melted mozzarella to a sausage and peppers hero. So darn good!
More great sausage recipes
If you like Italian sausage as much as I do, you'll want to try these other recipes.
- Sausage and peppers rigatoni - All of the goodness of the classic along with a garlicky tomato sauce, Pecorino, and rigatoni.
- Sausage meatballs - Italian sausage, garlic, Pecorino Romano cheese, parsley, and breadcrumbs.
- Italian sausage and potatoes - Crispy potatoes, sausage, sliced onion, and olive oil.
- Orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe - Sweet fennel sausage, garlicky broccoli rabe, and spicy cherry peppers tossed with orecchiette.
- Chicken Scarpariello - Chicken, sliced sausage, potatoes, and peppers in a tangy vinegar sauce.
- Spicy sausage potato and kale soup - Spicy sausage, potatoes, cannellini beans, and kale.
- Italian sausage pasta - Pappardelle with fennel sausage in a garlicky tomato cream sauce.
If you’ve enjoyed this sausage and peppers rigatoni recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and leave a review.
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Ingredients
- 8 large mild Italian sausage links about 2 pounds
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 3 large bell peppers sliced, red and green
- 3 large onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
Instructions
- Poke a couple of holes in each sausage link and in a baking dish roast in oven at 400f until mostly cooked through (about 20 minutes).
- Dry off sausage to remove any moisture. Heat a stainless steel pan to medium-low and once hot add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the sausage and cook until the links are well browned on all sides (about 10-15 minutes total).
- Remove sausage from pan and set aside tented with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Then add the peppers and onions. Cook for a few minutes coating well with the olive oil and sausage drippings. Add 3 ounces of water to the pan and cover.
- Remove the lid after about 10 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Continue cooking to evaporate any excess water. When the water evaporates and the peppers and onions are soft, add in the sausage links.
- Cook for a few more minutes and taste test. Make any final adjustments to salt/pepper/oregano if required. Serve the sausage and peppers with Italian bread or on top of a hero/sub roll. Enjoy!
Notes
- Salt levels really need to be adjusted based on the sausage brand used. Sodium content can vary widely.
- The sausage quality makes all the difference. Use the absolute best sausage you can find!
- Sausage and peppers should be very oily from both the sausage fat and the added olive oil. Don't be shy with olive oil!
- Seeded Italian bread or hero rolls is the bread most often served with sausage and peppers.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warm.
- Dried oregano is pure Italian-American and is frequently used in many dishes like sausage and peppers. Use as much or as little as you like.
Hi Jim, I just recently stumbled upon your website and now I'm hooked on it. I love your style of cooking!!! It's very simple to understand and true homestyle Italian cooking. This is what I grew up on. My mother and grandmother were fantastic cooks, but unfortunately they are no longer with us. Love It!!! I'm introducing my daughter and daughter-in-law to your site, in hopes that they will become better cooks. I'm sure they will really appreciate your style. I am a New Yorker, born and raised in Brooklyn, married and moved to Long Island, then moved to Japan and then moved to my current home here in San Jose, California. I make mostly Italian and Japanese food. I'm hoping that your videos will fill in all the blanks with your cooking for them. Thank you again!!!
Hi Patricia, Thanks for liking the recipes and the videos. I love Japanese food. Before I went to just an Italian food website I released a Japanese eggplant with miso recipe. We used to go to a Mom and Pop small sushi place here in Long Island years ago and have the best meals. That's where I was introduced to that simple dish. I spend so much time making videos and writing about Italian-American food that when I can we all go to the local Japanese restaurant nearby for something different and delicious. I hope your daughter and daughter-in-law like the recipes on this site!
Love all your dishes so simple and so tasty have done a few I'm hooked
Thank you, Lily!
Hi James,
Love your recipes and great videos.
What stainless steel pan do you recommend?
Hi Maria. The 14" stainless steel pan is made by either Vigor or Winco. It is available in my shop on the main menu right above. Thanks for liking the videos!
I love this recipe and have made it multiple times. I'm from NYC and get cravings for these sausage and peppers--your recipe absolutely hits the spot. I usually add a little of whatever else I have on hand. Your videos are really encouraging and you have a great approach to cooking/teaching. I'll be trying out more of your recipes for sure! (I'm eyeing that Pasta alla Norma.)
Hi Glory. I'm happy to hear than you enjoyed the sausage and peppers and that you're liking the videos. I hope the pasta alla Norma is a hit too!
I have been making Sausage, peppers & onions for years. Grew up in an Italian family as a youngster. We had this as a sandwich(on real Italian bread)There was always a little something I thought was missing in my preparation. Found it as I read your recipe. Oregano! Having that for dinner. Sometimes on a roll, often just plated. As I read your recipe, I found the oregano mentioned in the text, not the ingredients. I bet this makes a difference. I love your site and have told many friends about it. OK, they are not all Italian but they sure love Italian food. Thanks for what you do. There are a few things I saw that I had forgotten. My grandmother, from the old country used to serve green beans in a pasta sauce. I've got that on my list!
Hi Pat. Thanks for liking the recipes and recommending our site to others. I know the oregano will make definitely make a difference. Hope you enjoy the greens beans in tomato sauce as well. Thanks for the comment!
Love it. I'm sorry (not) that no one was home for the sausage and pepper hoagie.
Hi, Carrie. I feel the same way sometimes lol. Thanks for the comment.