Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 pounds sweet Italian sausage, in casing

2 medium Spanish onions, thinly sliced

2 large red bell peppers, thinly sliced

2 large yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon crush red pepper flakes

2 cups tomato puree

1 cup chicken or beef stock

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon kosher salt

12 basil leaves, chopped or torn

crusty garlic bread, to serve

Chef notes

This is the dish that my mom still makes for me when I come home to visit her. It's incredibly comforting and nostalgic, filled with the flavors of my childhood — a meal I always look forward to enjoying with family.

Technique tip: The key is extracting as much flavor from the peppers and onions as possible.

Swap option: I make this with chicken or turkey sausage as well as tofu when I'm eating plant-based foods.

Preparation

In a large, heavy bottomed pot, add the olive oil over medium-high heat. Roast off sausages until golden-brown, about 12-14 minutes. When the sausages are golden, remove and reserve.

Discard most of the fat from the pot, but save enough to cover the bottom of the pot in order to cook the onions and peppers, etc.

In the same fat as the sausages, add the onions, peppers, garlic and oregano and sauté at medium heat for 10-12 minutes, until a little golden color has been achieved.

Put sausages on top of peppers and onions, and add the rest of the ingredients except the basil.

Cover and cook over medium-low heat for an additional 45 minutes. Remove sausages, cut them into thirds and return them to the pot.

Finish the onions and peppers with torn basil leaves and serve with crusty garlic bread.

Scott Conant's Mom's Sausage and Peppers