Sausage with Sweet and Sour Peppers in a cast-iron skillet

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Agrodolce is the Italian term for a sweet and sour sauce. Usually a reduction of vinegar and sugar, it is used to top meats, vegetables, sandwiches—anything, really! This recipe creates a quick and easy agrodolce right in the pan, which helps to soften the peppers so that they are tender and almost creamy. This quick and easy dish is wonderful as prepared, or serve it over polenta, beside roasted potatoes, or tossed with pasta.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage
  • 4 bell peppers, any color, cored and sliced 1/2-inch
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon honey, plus more as needed

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning as needed, until it is browned all over (it doesn’t need to be cooked through). Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  2. Add the peppers and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are tender, about 8 minutes more.
  3. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Return the heat to medium and add the vinegar and honey. Nestle the browned sausage into the peppers and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the vinegar is almost fully reduced, the peppers are soft, and the sausage is cooked through, about 12 minutes. If the pan becomes too dry before the peppers are soft and the sausage is fully cooked, add a few tablespoons of water or vinegar and cover with a lid until ready. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, vinegar, and honey, as needed.
  4. Serve the peppers topped with the sausage.

Note: This dish can also be prepared in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the peppers and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread in the bottom of a cast-iron skillet or baking dish. Top with the sausage and roast until the peppers are soft and the sausage is just about cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the vinegar and honey, and toss to coat (you may find it helpful to remove the sausage and replace it browned-side down). Roast for another 10 minutes to reduce the sauce.

CIA FOODIES

Sausage with Sweet and Sour Peppers

Sausage with Sweet and Sour Peppers in a cast-iron skillet
Makes 4 to 6 servings Agrodolce is the Italian term for a sweet and sour sauce. Usually a reduction of vinegar and sugar, it is used to top meats, vegetables, sandwiches—anything, really! This recipe creates a quick and easy agrodolce right in the pan, which helps to soften the peppers so that they are tender and almost creamy. This quick and easy dish is wonderful as prepared, or serve it over polenta, beside roasted potatoes, or tossed with pasta.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage
  • 4 bell peppers, any color, cored and sliced 1/2-inch
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon honey, plus more as needed

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning as needed, until it is browned all over (it doesn’t need to be cooked through). Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  2. Add the peppers and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the peppers are tender, about 8 minutes more.
  3. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Return the heat to medium and add the vinegar and honey. Nestle the browned sausage into the peppers and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until the vinegar is almost fully reduced, the peppers are soft, and the sausage is cooked through, about 12 minutes. If the pan becomes too dry before the peppers are soft and the sausage is fully cooked, add a few tablespoons of water or vinegar and cover with a lid until ready. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, vinegar, and honey, as needed.
  4. Serve the peppers topped with the sausage.
Note: This dish can also be prepared in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the peppers and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread in the bottom of a cast-iron skillet or baking dish. Top with the sausage and roast until the peppers are soft and the sausage is just about cooked through, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the vinegar and honey, and toss to coat (you may find it helpful to remove the sausage and replace it browned-side down). Roast for another 10 minutes to reduce the sauce.

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