Sweet Italian Sausage with Peppers and Olives

Sweet Italian Sausage with Peppers and Olives

Can it be that eight years after starting this blog I've finally found its voice? It is something I have struggled with, especially the past two years, even though I blogged rather sporadically until recently.


Writing about simple food feels natural to me. I enjoy food prep and experimenting with new recipes and original recipes, but I have not wish to spend too much time in the kitchen. There are simply too many other things to do and learn.

I just want to make it easy for myself and for anyone who wants to try a recipe I've featured. Good food need not be fancy nor hard to prepare. It need not cost an arm and a leg, either.

That doesn't mean French food won't be featured, because I prefer the food of the French countryside, not the haute cuisine of Paris. But it does mean I like focusing on simple dishes made with familiar ingredients.

One of our favorite dishes, one that has evolved over the years, actually began nine years ago this month in a tiny village outside of Cahors, in the southwest of France. It began simply, with sausage, tomato sauce and green olives. Over the years, it has changed, and we've added roasted red peppers, black olives and mushrooms. The peppers were added when we made it in Paris in 2007.

It has become my husband's dish to make, not mine, and it is a meal he prepares on Sundays, about once every six weeks, from September through May.

This is pretty much a one-skillet meal, and it takes about two hours from start to finish. You can get a head start by preparing most of the ingredients in advance. He makes a lot of it, and it feeds us for about three days.

Sweet Italian Sausage with Peppers and Olives

• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 pounds of sweet Italian sausage
• 1 package fresh mushrooms, chopped or sliced
• 1 1/4 ounces jar sliced black olives
• 1/3 cup sliced green olives
• 1 large jar of prepared tomato sauce, your choice
• 1 13-1/4 ounce package spaghetti or angel-hair pasta

Roast the red pepper and allow to cool. Chop the green onions and set aside. When red pepper cools, chop that, too, and set aside.

Chop the onions and mince the garlic. Pour olive oil in large skillet and add onions and garlic. Sauté for 6-10 minutes; add the meat and brown. Next, add sweet pepper chunks. Continue to cook over medium heat, adding mushrooms as the green pepper begins to soften. Add black and green olives and reduce heat, allowing to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions.

Serve with freshly grate Parmesan cheese. Garlic bread and a green salad complete the meal. We usually serve with a red table wine.