Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers

While I love the smoky flavor of grilled sausage and peppers, there’s nothing that beats the ease of piling everything onto a sheet pan and sticking it in the oven. It allows for 30 minutes of hands-off cooking, during which you can pour yourself a glass of wine, set the table, maybe even light a few candles and turn on dinner jazz. Yes, even on a Wednesday.

Italian sausage (sweet or hot, or my favorite—a combination) paired with strips of jammy peppers and caramelized onions is a tale as old as Italian-American time, but I made a few additions that I think improve the classic (gasp!):

A spritz of red wine vinegar splashed over everything contrasts the fatty, juicy sausages and sweet peppers for a feisty, come-back-for-more flavor that you don’t typically find in the original. Another addition:  oil-packed sun dried tomatoes for an unexpected, chewy bite.

Before you raise a brow, think about the sausage and peppers swimming in tomato sauce that you’ve had on the Jersey boardwalk or red checkered table joint. Tomatoes are a natural pairing to this dish, and in my opinion, sun dried tomatoes are the best tomatoes for the job. Their highly concentrated, sweet-savory taste adds depth of flavor in an instant, no watery sauce needed.

A quick note about condiments—go for it! I have been known to squirt spicy mustard over the finished sausage (à la hot dog) or slather garlic aioli on the bun. I am also not opposed to a little mayonnaise.

this recipe

Sausage and peppers variations

There are any number of carbs you could pair this with: a Martin’s potato hoagie roll, pasta or gnocchi, or small potatoes. The potatoes will take the same amount of time to roast as the rest of the meal, so you can add them to the same sheet pan. Just be sure to avoid crowding—if you don’t have a large sheet pan, use two smaller ones.

How to make sausage and peppers in the oven

Heat the oven to 425℉. Arrange the bell peppers, onion, and garlic on your largest sheet pan. If necessary, use two smaller sheet pans (you don’t want too many veggies piled on top of each other, give them as much space as possible). Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Taste a bell pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Arrange the sausages on top of the vegetables, tucking them in as you go. Roll them around once so they get coated in olive oil. Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping the sausages halfway through, until cooked (internal temperature of 160℉).

Sprinkle the chopped sun dried tomatoes and red wine vinegar over the cooked sausage and peppers; toss to combine. Taste another bell pepper and add more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.

Serve sausages tucked into hoagie rolls with peppers and onions, drizzling on condiments as desired.

What goes well with sausage and peppers

• Broccoli Rabe With White Beans And Cheddar Breadcrumbs
• Corn Salad With Tomatoes, Feta, And Herbs
• Farmer’s Market Salad With Homemade Ranch And Pecorino

Print Recipe

Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers

(5 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

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Dinner – American, Italian

By Samantha – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes – Total Time: 50 minutes

Italian sausage paired with strips of jammy peppers and caramelized onions is a classic, but a few additions improve on the original: A spritz of red wine vinegar for vibrant flavor and oil-packed sun dried tomatoes for an unexpected, chewy bite.

Ingredients

• 3 bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into ¼-inch strips (use red, yellow, orange, or one of each)
• 1 large yellow or red onion, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch strips
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 ½ lbs uncooked sweet or hot Italian sausage (or a combination)
• 1/3 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
• Hoagie rolls, for serving
• Condiments, for serving (such as spicy mustard, mayonnaise, aioli, etc.)

Instructions

1

Heat the oven to 425℉. Arrange the bell peppers, onion, and garlic on your largest sheet pan. If necessary, use two smaller sheet pans (you don’t want too many veggies piled on top of each other, give them as much space as possible). Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Taste a bell pepper and adjust seasonings if necessary.

2

Arrange the sausages on top of the vegetables, tucking them in as you go. Roll them around once so they get lightly coated in olive oil. Transfer the sheet pan to the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes, flipping the sausages halfway through, until cooked (internal temperature of 160℉).

3

Sprinkle the chopped sun dried tomatoes and red wine vinegar over the cooked sausage and peppers; toss to combine. Taste another bell pepper and add more salt, pepper, or vinegar as needed.

4

Serve sausages tucked into hoagie rolls with peppers and onions, drizzling on condiments as desired.