Summer is officially here! If you’re anything like me, then you are probably excited to do all those things that we couldn’t do last year. And you’re probably looking for a quick and easy dinner than can be thrown together in no time at all.

If so, then I have the perfect dish for you: Sausage and Peppers!

This recipe is great because it’s a one pan meal and it can be thrown together ahead of time, kept in the fridge until needed, and clean up is a breeze! Plus, it can easily be adapted to your own tastes and the ingredients you already have on hand. I used chicken sausage that comes pre-cooked, so you’re basically just reheating it. It’s a bit of a time saver and usually these types of sausages have more flavor combinations that regular sausage.

I call this dish Italian Flag Sausage and Peppers because the use of the green and red peppers and the onion represent the Italian flag. Plus, the use of Italian spices really drives home the Italy theme.

Italian Flag Sausage and Peppers

This recipe can be thrown together in no time at all! I used Gilbert’s Caprese Chicken Sausage in this recipe, but you can use whatever type of sausage your family likes. You can also tailor the herbs and other flavorings used to your own tastes.

Serves 3 to 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 Packages of Gilbert’s Caprese Chicken Sausage (this comes out to 8 links)
• 2 Green bell peppers
• 1 Red bell pepper
• 1 Medium onion
• 3 Cloves garlic, minced
• Parsley, to taste
• Basil, to taste
• Oregano, to taste
• 1 teaspoon zest of clementine or orange
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Olive oil (I used a combination of regular extra virgin and a Tuscan Herb infused olive oil we had)

Instructions

1. Slice your peppers into stripes, cut your onion into half moon-shaped slices.
2. Add the sausage to a baking dish (I used a 9×13), add the peppers, onion, garlic, zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices.
3. Toss with your hands to evenly coat. Add more olive oil, if it feels “dry.”
4. At this point, the tray can be placed in the refrigerator with a piece of foil on top.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Leave the foil on for the first 20 minutes while in the oven. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and continue baking for another 20 to 25 minutes until the peppers and onions are softened to your liking.

That’s it!! I told you it was easy.

Enjoy!