As we wind down on our time in dental school, I find myself looking at pictures from the past four years. One of my favorite things that we’ve done every year is attend the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy. The food here is always so so great- I always grab some arancini (risotto balls), clams, penne a la vodka, and, of course, Italian sausage with peppers and onions. Nostalgia kicked in and I decided to make a dinner that brought me back to those warm summer nights on the streets of Little Italy. Good to know: this recipe is only as good as the sausage you buy. If you get good Italian sausage, this recipe will be that much better 🙂 

  Sweet Italian Sausage with Peppers and Onions 

  Ingredients: 

4 links sweet Italian sausage 

1 medium yellow onion, halved and then chopped into 1/2 inch slices 

1 red pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch slices 

1 green pepper, chopped into 1/2 inch slices 

Olive oil 

Salt 

Lime  

Directions: 

You can grill or pan-fry your Italian sausages- I’ve done it both ways, but cooking them in a pan is quicker. Film the bottom of your pan (cast-iron skillet works well here) with olive oil and bring up to med-high heat. once its hot, place your sausage links in the pan. While those cook ( about 4 minutes or so), chop your onions and peppers and place them into a bowl. Toss them around in some olive oil (about 1-2 tbsp) and a sprinkle of salt. Once the sausages are nicely browned on one side, flip them over. Once they’re cooked through, remove them from the heat and toss the onions and peppers into the hot skillet (reduce heat to medium). If you have a splatter guard for your pan, this is the time to use it- the grease splatter can get pretty messy. While your peppers and onions cook off, slice your sausages into 1/2 inch slices (make the cuts on a slight angle so they’re not just straight across). Squeeze some lime onto the sausage slices. This step is not something you’ll normally see in your typical Italian sausage, but the acidity is really a nice touch- my dad showed me that trick! Once your onions are translucent and your peppers are softened, your dish is ready to serve! I like chopping up the sausages because everyone can choose exactly how much they want (what if I want one and a half?!- its cool), and because you don’t get molten-hot sausage juice all over you when you take a bite. You can toast up some bread and call it a day!