Italian Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Subs

The start of baseball's spring training reminds me of the delicious Italian sausage subs available at my local ballpark. I cannot resist the sweet and spicy scent that greets my nose whenever I am walking through the concourse on the way to my seat. My favorite ballpark sub has fresh Italian fennel sausage on a fresh sub roll loaded with grilled peppers and onions, and topped with spicy brown mustard. The recipe below captures the flavor perfectly. Now if only our frigid weather would warm up!

Italian Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Subs

recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

4 sweet Italian sausages with fennel
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup chicken stock or dry white wine
2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
4 crusty sub rolls, split

Spicy mustard, for serving

Prick sausages with a fork. Place Italian sausages in a large skillet and add 1 inch of water. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat a little. Allow all the liquid to cook away, then brown and crisp the casings, 5 to 6 minutes. Deglaze the pan with stock or wine and cook it off, 1 minute. Remove sausages to a platter.

While sausage cooks, slice the peppers and onions and prepare the garlic. Once the Italian sausage comes out of the pan, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook 10 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Slice sausages on an angle. Fill each roll with a peppers and onions then the sliced sausages and spicy mustard.