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20-Minute Spicy Italian Sausage Links with Warm Bell Pepper Salad
An easy meal that uses only a few dishes, this recipe is keto-friendly, low-carb, and budget-conscious. The Italian sausage pairs beautifully with the sweet, warm bell pepper salad, making it perfect for busy weeknight or lazy day dinners. You can also grill the sausage instead of baking it in the oven for added flavor!
Does it have to be Italian sausage?
No way! It’s always fun to experiment. My local butcher loves to experiment with sausage flavors, so I’ve tried this recipe with a variety of different types of sausages. I recommend avoiding sweeter sausages, as the bell peppers become sweeter when cooked. You’ll want to achieve a balance of salty, spicy, or tangy flavors to complement the dish. I’m not sure if you can find it at your local butcher, but mine makes an Americana sausage with a flavor profile of beer and garlic—it’s absolutely amazing! This one is my favorite flavors when paired with the bell pepper salad.
You can also substitute chicken sausage or plant-based sausage.
Do I need to use different color bell peppers?
Absolutely not. I love using a rainbow of bell peppers because they bring vibrant colors and a fresh vibe to summertime dishes. If you have a three-pack of red bell peppers, or any single color, that’ll work just fine too! Another beautiful thing about this bell pepper salad is it brings some appreciated crunchy texture to this dish. You can even use those cute mini bell peppers if you have them on hand.
Recommended Equipment
13×9 baking sheet – I love the Nordic Ware brand. It is all I ever purchase due to their durability and high quality
Parchment paper or Silicone baking mat
Large saute pan – I like to use this Cuisinart deep pan because it allows for easier tossing of veggies compared to a more shallow pan
Ingredients
4-6 Italian sausage links
2 tbsp butter
1 large clove garlic, minced (or 2 cloves if you’re like me and can’t get enough garlic)
3-4 large bell peppers (yellow, orange and red), cored and sliced thinly
1/4 large red onion, sliced
1/2 tsp fennel seed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped – you can also substitute mint, basil or even oregano
Salt and cracked pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake the sausage for about 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F for pork (165°F for chicken).
- While the sausage is baking, add 2 tbsp butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once melted, add garlic and fennel seeds to the skillet. Saute for about 30 seconds to toast, stirring constantly. It will become very fragrant; this is how you know it’s time to add the sliced bell peppers and red onion. Cook until just warmed through (bell peppers should be softer but still have a firm bite).
- Remove bell peppers from the heat. Add lemon juice, chopped herbs, salt and pepper directly to the pan and toss with tongs. You can allow the bell pepper salad to stay in the pan, uncovered, while the sausages finish cooking.
Serve with additional sides such as sauerkraut, German potato salad or mashed potatoes.
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