With the Super Bowl being hosted at the Meadowlands just outside of New York City, it seems only fitting to cook up some Italian sausages with all the fixings to watch the big game. There are tons of places to buy quality hot or sweet Italian sausages in and around Boston. Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Sonny Noto's in East Boston and Borelli's Deli in Methuen come to mind.
I like to start out with a large round shallow pan and heat a little bit of good quality olive oil. Pierce the sausages and sear in the oil until they are nice and brown all over. Remove the sausage and set aside, and add thinly sized vidalia onion, slowly cooking for about 8-10 minutes. Add in thinly sliced bell peppers of your choice- sometimes I even sneak in a few jalapenos for a little kick. Cook the onion and peppers for another 8-10 minutes. Add in a little fresh oregano and about 2 ounces of water to help the onions and peppers steam a little bit. Some people like to add a little dollop of tomato paste here as well, to add a little robustness, but thats entirely optional.
From here I add the sausages back to the pan and throw the whole thing in a 350 degree oven until the sausages are cooked through. You will end up with a beautiful marriage cooked down peppers and onions and juicy sausages bursting with flavor.
The perfect vehicle for this Italian-American staple is our Au Pain Dore Baguettine. It's a manageable size at roughly seven inches in length, and provides a thin crisp crust and a beautifully fluffy crumb. Slice the baguettine, being careful not to cut all the way through. This will create a hinge effect. I rub a little olive oil on the cut side of the bread and toast briefly, this really opens up the flavors of the artisan bread. I also like to rub the cut side of a garlic clove on the inside of the bread after it toasts to impart a little bit of flavor.
Slice the sausages lengthwise and arrange on the bread nestled between two layers of peppers and onions. Guaranteed to please the hungriest of football fans. Enjoy!
