Italian Sausage Sandwiches

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 -6 italian sweet sausage or 4 -6 hot italian sausages
• 1 1/4 cups dry wine or 1 1/4 cups water, divided
• 2 -4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced,lengthwise
• 2 -3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 -4 large red bell peppers or 3 -4 large green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 4 -6 large crusty french rolls, split and warmed in oven
• 4 -12 slices provolone cheese, 1 to 2 slices per sandwich (desirable) (optional)
• 1 -2 cup fairly spicy marinara sauce (if not spicy, simmer with garlic and red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste)

Recipe

• 1 poke the sausages all over with a fork, and place in a large lidded skillet with 1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 cup wine or water, turn on heat to medium, and partially cover.
• 2 when pan begins to boil, turn sausages, and continue to simmer, turning several more times.
• 3 when liquid has evaporated, uncover, and continue cooking until sausages have browned to your taste.
• 4 remove sausages from pan, and set on paper towels to drain.
• 5 drain all grease from skillet, but do not wash or rinse it.
• 6 add 1-2 tsp more extra virgin olive oil to pan, and place on medium heat.
• 7 add onions, and garlic, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 8 moisture from the onions should be enough to deglaze the pan, but you can add 1/4 cup wine or water, if desired, to help with the job.
• 9 stir the onions, scraping the bottom to pick up and dissolve browned bits from the sausage.
• 10 continue cooking and tossing until onions are almost translucent.
• 11 add peppers, and toss to combine with onions.
• 12 turn up heat to medium-high, and continue to toss and cook until peppers are crisp-tender or to your taste.
• 13 bury the sausage in the vegetables to reheat if necessary.
• 14 i usually serve on crusty french rolls or bolillos, crusty mexican rolls that have been heated in the oven.
• 15 either one is better than your typical hoagie roll.
• 16 i split the warmed roll, brush on a little marinara sauce, split the sausages lengthwise, and pile on the onions and peppers.
• 17 if desired, line the roll with a slice of provolone and/or place one on top of the sausage and veggies.