Baked Italian Sausage and Peppers Recipe
This Baked Italian Sausage and Peppers recipe is a flavorful and easy one-pan meal perfect for weeknight dinners. Combining colorful bell peppers and onions with seasoned Italian sausage baked to perfection, it's finished with fresh basil and parmesan cheese for a classic Italian touch. Served with marinara sauce for dipping, this dish offers a comforting and satisfying experience with minimal prep and a quick bake time.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 4 bell peppers (any color), sliced
- 2 white onions, sliced
Meat and Dairy
- 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or hot)
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (omit if seasoning contains salt)
- 1½ cups marinara sauce (for dipping)
- Fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) to ensure it reaches the right temperature for baking the sausage and vegetables evenly.
- Prepare Vegetables and Sausage: Arrange the sliced bell peppers and onions on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle the Italian seasoning and kosher salt, then toss everything to coat well. Nestle the Italian sausages among the vegetables on the pan.
- Initial Bake: Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. This cooks the vegetables and starts browning the sausages. After this time, remove the pan.
- Flip and Stir: Flip the sausages to promote even cooking and stir the peppers and onions to prevent burning and encourage uniform roasting.
- Bake with Marinara Sauce: Transfer the marinara sauce to an ovenproof bowl. Return both the sheet pan with sausages and vegetables and the bowl of marinara sauce to the oven. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until sausages are fully cooked through.
- Serve: Remove everything from the oven. Serve the baked sausage and peppers topped with fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Use the warm marinara sauce for dipping to enhance the flavors.
Notes
- Omit or adjust kosher salt if your Italian seasoning blend contains salt to avoid oversalting.
- You can use sweet, mild, or hot Italian sausage based on your flavor preference.
- For a smoky twist, try adding a dash of smoked paprika to the seasoning mix.
- Make sure the baking dish or sheet pan is large enough to spread vegetables and sausages in a single layer for even cooking.
- Use leftover marinara sauce for pasta or as a dipping sauce for bread.
- Substitute basil with fresh parsley or oregano if preferred.
