
Sausage, peppers, and onions are tossed with simple Italian seasonings and then roasted to perfection for an easy meal that can be enjoyed over rice, pasta, or as the best sausage sandwiches.
Easy, colorful, and hearty. This meal is versatile comfort food at its best.
The most basic of ingredients – sausage, vegetables, and seasonings – come together easily and with truly mouthwatering results. It’s one of those recipes for which many cooks have their own family recipe, with variations on seasonings, cooking temperature, and so on.
The following preparation has been my go-to for years, and there are two ways I like to serve it.
The first option is over rice. The sausage and veggies shine in their simplicity, and the rice acts like a sponge for the flavorful pan juices. (My husband would happily drink the juice!)
Alternatively, for truly divine sausage sandwiches, stuff the mixture into toasted rolls, top with marinara and cheese, and broil to melt. This combination is great for casual entertaining too – family dinners, game day fare, and when your teenage kids invite friends for dinner!
The how-to…
Sliced peppers and onion are flavored with a short list of basic seasonings and placed in a baking dish. Sausage is nestled on top, and the whole thing is popped in the oven. A simple, one-dish approach.
Forty-ish minutes later – plenty of time to cook rice or pasta to serve alongside if that’s your serving choice – the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked to golden brown perfection. A sprinkle of basil offers a fresh finish if you have it, but the dish will still taste great if you don’t.
As a bonus, there’s no need to brown the sausage first. The baking time provides ample time for the surface of the sausage to lightly crisp, but if you’d like more golden-brown color, you may broil briefly.
Serving suggestions:
While I’ve made sausage and peppers with a tomato sauce base, this recipe yields a delicious broth. The flavorful juices are perfect for drizzling over rice or another grain of choice. You could even prepare Perfectly Baked Potatoes and use the pan juices instead of butter.
I often serve the sausage and pepper mixture with rice one night and use any leftovers for sausage sandwiches another day. You could start with the sandwiches, of course.
For irresistible sandwiches that are as perfect for a family dinner as they are for entertaining, I lightly toast sub rolls with the cheese to melt it. Then I add marinara sauce and the warm (or reheated) sausage, peppers, and onions. Provolone is my top pick in the cheese department, but I make use of what I have on hand, which is often Cooper sharp.
The recipe in either form (served over rice or as sandwiches) offers a complete meal and is great game day fare too. If you’d like to bolster the offerings, the rice presentation needs nothing more than a side of simple arugula salad or applesauce.
Polenta Fries are a surefire hit with the sandwiches, and potato chips are a really easy win. You could also sauté mushrooms and serve them on the side. The flavor is complementary and those who enjoy mushrooms can mix them in.
If you like to tweak the recipe, toss in some pepperoncini for a little zip. Or try adding some bite-size potatoes along with the peppers and onions. To allow for even cooking and avoid overloading the baking dish, however, you may need to use a larger roasting pan if adding additional ingredients.
And while the broth is mouthwatering, you could add marinara sauce if you’re craving something saucy (thickening the pan juices with some tomato paste, if needed) and serve the sausage and veggies over pasta. Perfect in its simplicity, this recipe is equally ripe for riffing.
Prep ahead tips:
- Slice the peppers and onions up to a day in advance and refrigerate in a sealed bag, bowl, or other airtight container.
- Although delicious hot from the oven, the dish reheats well, so you can fully cook and reheat when ready to serve. This may feel especially helpful when going the extra step of making into sausage sandwiches.
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated. 💛

Easy Roasted Sausage, Peppers, and Onions
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (42ml) olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) red wine vinegar (could sub balsamic)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon each red pepper flakes and kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3 bell peppers, sliced (mix of colors is nice; if small, I use 3½ or 4)
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced root to stem
- 6 sweet or hot Italian sausages (or a mix; about 2lbs), sliced into thirds on the diagonal*
- Garnish: 2-3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil (could sub parsley – a nice touch but can omit if you don’t have fresh herbs)
- Optional for serving: hot cooked rice or pasta, Parmesan cheese
- For sausage sandwiches: toasted sub rolls, marinara sauce, and provolone cheese (Cooper sharp, mozzarella, Swiss, and smoked Gouda, are other good options)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Add the peppers and onions and toss to coat in the oil mixture. Transfer to a 9×13 baking pan.
- Add the cut sausage to the same bowl. Toss to coat in any remaining oil and spices. The sausage doesn’t need to be well coated; the key is to get all the flavor out of the bowl. Nestle the sausage pieces on top of vegetables.
- Bake until the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. If you’d like more golden-brown color and a hint of char, switch to the broil setting and broil about 2 minutes, watching very closely so as not to burn.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the slivered basil.
- Serving options: Serve hot, drizzling the pan juices over the rice or pasta and adding an optional sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired.
- Or tuck the mixture into toasted rolls with Provolone and marinara. Helpful hints: I toast the rolls (toaster oven or regular oven at 350℉ for about 5 minutes, depending on oven) with enough cheese for the slices to cover both sides of the roll, and it melts while the bread toasts. Then I spread marinara along one side of the roll and pop back in the oven or toaster oven for a minute to warm the sauce; you could simply warm the sauce separately. Then fill the rolls with the sausage and pepper mixture, letting the pan juices drain off to avoid drips, and enjoy with extra sauce on the side, if desired.
- Storage: The sausage mixture will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator and may be frozen for 3-4 months.
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