This is one of the first meals Alex and I ever cooked together. Not a “date-night” dish, not a flex, just Italian sausage, peppers, and onions in a skillet because it was affordable, forgiving, and got food on the table quickly. Years later, it’s still in regular rotation for the same reason: it’s the dinner you make when you don’t want to think, but also don’t want to give up and Doordash.
Italian sausage carries most of the weight here. Peppers and onions soften and sweeten. A can of tomatoes keeps everything cohesive, and a little butter at the end makes the sauce feel finished instead of thin. Serving it over rice turns it into a complete meal without introducing another decision.
This isn’t impressive food. It’s reliable food. The kind you make on a weeknight when energy is low and expectations are realistic, but you still want dinner to taste like someone cared.
Snapshot
- Implements: large skillet or cast iron pan; rice cooker; cutting board; knife
- Stove setting: medium heat for browning, low heat for simmering
- Batch size: about 4 servings
Ingredients
Sausage and vegetables
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 5 Italian sausage links (sweet, hot, or a mix)
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced into ¼-inch half-moons
- 3 bell peppers, sliced into strips
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
Seasoning and finish
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- ½ Tsp red pepper flakes (only if using all sweet sausage)
- ¼ cup water or red wine
- 1 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1–2 Tbsp butter
To serve
- Cooked white rice
Method
Cook the rice
Start the rice in a rice cooker so it finishes around the same time as the sausage mixture. Keep warm.
Brown the sausage
Heat olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and brown them well on all sides. They should be deeply colored but not cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the onions and peppers
Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the onions and peppers to the same pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to take on color. Scrape up any browned bits left from the sausage.
Season and bloom the garlic
Add oregano, salt, and black pepper. Add red pepper flakes only if you are using sweet sausage. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.
Deglaze and reduce
Add the water or red wine and deglaze, scraping up the fond. Let it reduce for a minute or two.
Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer
Pour in the Rotel tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. While the tomato comes up to temperature, slice the browned sausages into thick coins or on a bias.
Add sausage and simmer
When the tomato is simmering, add the sliced sausage back to the pan and distribute evenly. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sausage is fully cooked and the peppers are tender. Uncover for the last few minutes if you want a tighter sauce.
Finish with butter
Turn off the heat. Add the butter and stir gently until melted and emulsified. The sauce should look glossy, not greasy.
Serve
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. The butter adds a small amount of salt, so you may need less additional salt than expected. Serve hot over rice.
Notes, swaps, and guardrails
Browning matters
If the sausage or vegetables are pale, the dish will taste flat. Let the pan do its job before moving things around.
Heat control
Hot Italian sausage replaces the need for red pepper flakes. Using both tends to overwhelm the dish.
Texture check
The finished peppers should be tender but not collapsed, and the sauce should lightly coat the sausage without pooling.
- Do not skip the butter finish.
- Do not crowd the pan during browning.