Baked Sausage, Peppers, and Onions with Polenta
Baked sausage, peppers, and onions is a perfect trio of flavors. And when you add polenta and red sauce to the mix, it becomes a hearty one-pan-meal everyone will love!
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Makes: 8 servings
Cost: $15
Equipment
- 1 large roasting pan (or 2 large rimmed baking sheets)
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 4 large green bell peppers, seeded and sliced about ¼ inch thick
- 2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced about ¼ inch thick
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan(s)
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 (18-ounce) tubes pre-cooked polenta, cut into ½- to ¾-inch-thick slices
- 2 pounds Italian sausage links (I use 1 pound hot and 1 pound sweet Italian sausage)
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- Chopped fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the center position.
- In a large bowl, toss the sliced bell peppers and onions with the olive oil, dried Italian herb blend, a big pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Grease a large (13x16-inch) roasting pan or two rimmed baking sheets with olive oil.
- Arrange the polenta slices in a single layer in the pan(s), then top them with the bell pepper and onion mixture. Prick the sausages all over with a fork or sharp paring knife and place them on top of the bell peppers and onions.
- Transfer to the oven and bake/roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sausages register 160°F (pork) or 165°F (poultry) on an instant-read thermometer.
- Using tongs, transfer the sausages to a plate or cutting board. Leave the oven on.
- Pour the marinara sauce over the bell peppers, onions, and polenta, then return the roasting pan to the oven. Bake for about 5 minutes, just until the sauce is heated through.
- While the sauce heats up in the oven, slice the sausage.
- Take the roasting pan out of the oven. Divide the polenta, vegetables, and sauce among individual plates or bowls, top with sliced sausage and chopped fresh basil (if using), and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Use pre-cooked sausage to save time: Roast the polenta and vegetables for about 15 minutes, just until the vegetables are tender. Meanwhile, slice the pre-cooked sausage. When the veggies are soft, top them with the sliced sausage and sauce, then roast for about 10 more minutes or until everything is heated through.