When All Else Fails...

When I haven't planned for dinner or when we're hungry and need something quick or when I just don't "feel like cooking" I have a go to meal. When all else fails, we have sausage and peppers. There are lot of ways to serve it, it's hot and it's comforting, and so it's an all around winner in my house.

My favorite way to eat sausage and peppers is on a nice thick crusty piece of bread. It's messy and delicious.  However, I'd have to plan in advance for that since I'd need fresh crusty bread on hand. Sometimes, I don't want to plan. Sometimes, flying by the seat of your pants ends well. This was one of those nights.

There's no real "recipe" that I use for this but I'll give you the jist.  I start with slicing a couple of bell peppers (I like using red and green, but only had green on hand) and slicing one nice sized white onion. The slices don't have to be perfect or super thin as the peppers and onions will cook down nicely regardless of size, but if you're in a real hurry, the thinner they are the quicker they become soft and pliable!

While I slice up the peppers and onions, I put links of Italian Turkey Sausage on the stove to cook. Now, I like hot Italian Turkey Sausage, but if you're not a fan of spicy, then the sweet is equally good.

Over medium high heat in a nice big skillet add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, then the peppers. Let them cook a few minutes before their friend, the onion, joins in the party.

When the peppers are soft and the onions are transluscent and just beginning to carmelize, add a couple of cups of marinara sauce. Now you can use the jarred if you like, but you know how I feel about that. Hopefully, you've been cooking along with me and have some of Lindrusso's Magnificent Marinara on hand! Mix the veggies and sauce together and lower the heat to medium or medium low. If you keep it on high...your stove will look like it has the chicken pox as your sauce splatters. Ask me how I know. ;D

While you've got all of this going on, throw a pot of water on to boil and cook up some of your favorite pasta. We like fettucine in this house and I had some on hand, so into the pot it went. Now if you have some good crusty bread, just slice it about 6 inches long and cut it open to stuff with the sausage, peppers and sauce!

When the sausage is done cooking, removing it from the pan and slice it into bite sized pieces. Take the sausage bits and toss it into your veggies and sauce.

End result? Dinner.