Chef notes
This recipe has been a family-favorite for years. I’ve also made it for just about every holiday and birthday party. The combination of sausage and peppers stewed in a deeply flavorful tomato-based sauce, topped with provolone and toasted onto crunchy garlic bread, is a perfect make-ahead dish that gets even better the longer it sits.
Technique tip: The sausage and peppers portion can be be cooked and stored in the refrigerator up to 48 hours in advance. Just reheat, toast the rolls and melt the cheese last minute before serving.
Swap option: Switch the sausage for chuck roast or even boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The method won’t change and the flavor will still be rich and delicious.
Ingredients
- 8 Italian sausages
- olive oil
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced
- 1 large onion or 2 medium onions, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled (not chopped)
- salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1½ cups beef stock
- fresh basil
- a few Italian long hot peppers (whole; optional)
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- pinch of Italian seasoning
- 8 long rolls
- 8-16 slices provolone
Preparation
1.Sear the sausages in a little olive oil in a shallow Dutch oven. Once well seared, remove them to a plate.
2.To the same pan, add another splash of oil (if needed), the bell peppers, onions, garlic and a pinch of salt, and sauté for a few minutes until they start to develop some color and cook down.
3.Add the wine to the pan and let it simmer and reduce for a couple minutes.
4.Add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, beef stock and seared sausages to the peppers and onion mixture, add some torn basil leaves and arrange the long hots (if using) around the edges of the pan and bring to a boil.
5.Partially cover with a lid, bring temperature to low and simmer for about 2 hours. If you choose to make this in advance, allow the sausage and peppers to cool completely to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat gently over medium-low heat until bubbly.
6.Preheat oven to 400 F. Make the garlic butter when the sausages are ready (or reheated) by mixing together the butter, Parmesan, garlic and Italian seasoning. Smear some of it on the cut side of each half of the roll then pop them in the oven for about 7 to 8 minutes or until deeply golden and crispy.
7.Top the crispy rolls with the sausage and peppers (I like to halve my sausages lengthwise) top with provolone and pop them back in the oven for a minute. Serve and enjoy!
