In Chapter Six of Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees, Silvia goes home to find Frank making a sausage and peppers sandwich. She pretends that she’s interested in his cooking in order to strike up a conversation with him about her plans for Vince’s graduation party. But she doesn’t fool Frank who knows, right away, that she’s faking an interest in his cooking because she wants something from him.
Sausage and peppers has always been a popular dish in my family and something that I still make on occasion. Please see Olive Branches Don’t Grow On Trees Blog below for complete recipe. Buon appetito!
Ingredients
11/2 pound hot and or sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 red or green bell peppers
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 large clove garlic
dash salt and pepper
4 crusty sandwich rolls
Directions
· Place the sausages in a large skillet. Pierce the casings with a fork. Add 1-inch water to the pan. Bring liquid to a boil. Cover sausages, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
· Heat a second skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add garlic, onion, and peppers, salt and pepper.
· Drain sausages and return pan to stove, raising heat back to medium high. Add a drizzle of oil to the skillet, brown and crisp the casings. Remove sausages, slice into 2 inch pieces on an angle and set pieces back into the pan to sear.
· Split and toast the bread under broiler.
· Combine the cooked peppers and onions to the sausages. Toss and turn the sausage, peppers and onions, picking up all the drippings from the pan. Pile the meat and peppers into the garlic sub rolls and serve.
This post is from my blog series on the traditional Italian food recipes from the family drama book, “Olive Branches Don’t Grow on Trees.”
Grace Mattioli is the author of the Greco Family Trilogy books, including Olive Branches Don’t Grow on Trees, Discovery of an Eagle, and The Bird that Sang in Color. These books are available from all major online book sellers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.
