As with most dishes the secret here lies in the quality of your ingredients.
If you get your sausages from a good butcher you’ll be well rewarded for your efforts!
Sausages with Summer Veg
Ingredients
- 4-6 pork sausages
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper)
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes (250g / 10oz)
- 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes or chilli powder
- 1 bag baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Heat a medium pan on a high heat. Add a few tablespoons olive oil.
- Remove sausage skins and crumble the meat into chunks in the pan. Discard the skins. Fry, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, or until sausages are starting to brown on the outside.
- Meanwhile chop capsicum (pepper) into long chunks and add to the pan. Halve tomatoes and add them as well.
- Continue to stir fry for another few minutes or until the sausages are browned and cooked through and the tomatoes have started to break down and go a little squishy.
- Season with salt, pepper and chilli and serve with baby spinach leaves scattered over the top.
Variations
vegetarian – try a tofu with summer veg. Replace sausages with about 350g (12oz) crumbled firm tofu. Add in a tablespoon smoked paprika to help give the tofu some colour and flavout. You could also try serving summer veg with poached or fried eggs or replace the sausage with chickpeas, lentils or beans.
vegan – replace sausages with diced eggplant. No need to salt the eggplant first but the eggplant will take quite a bit longer to cook than the sausages and be prepared to be very generous with the olive oil. Super important to make sure the eggplant is cooked – there are few things worse than crunchy eggplant.
different sausages – I’ve used good Italian style pork and fennel sausages here but feel free to play around with different types. Chorizo would work really well with the tomato and peppers.
wintery – replace tomatoes with canned tomatoes and replace red pepper with grilled red peppers from the deli.
more substantial (carb lovers) – toss in cooked pasta or couscous. You could also serve with crusty bread and butter.
more substantial (low carb) – add mayo or macadamias.
keto / ultra low carb – skip the peppers.
more veg – add diced eggplant and zucchini (allow to cook until tender).
Waste Avoidance Strategy
sausages – freeze.
capsicum (pepper) – make your own grilled peppers and keep in the fridge.
cherry tomatoes – will keep in the fridge for a few weeks but will lost their flavour. To preserve them, halve and roast at 180C (350F) for about an hour or until dried out. Store in a jar in the fridge covered with extra virgin olive oil.
chilli – pantry.
baby spinach leaves – use for another meal. Can be frozen but will wilt when defrosted. If you choose this option, I think it’s nicer to warm the wilted spinach before serving.
Problem Solving Guide
sausages sticking to the pan – if your pan is like mine, your sausages will stick unless you’ve very generous with the oil. Don’t stress, when you add the tomato it will all cook in together and make your sauce taste even more delicious.
too dry – we’re really relying on the tomatoes to break down a little and give us some sauce in this dish. If your tomatoes aren’t ripe enough you may need to cook them for a little longer. A splash of your best extra virgin olive oil or a squeeze of lemon will help.
too bland? – it’s super important to use good quality sausages. For now season more generously, but next time try getting some good Italian style pork sausages from a reputable butcher.
Serving Suggestions
With the spinach on top, this is a great little mid week meal on its own.
For a more substantial meal, serve with crusty bread or even toss in some cooked pasta or a can of lentils.
Prepare Ahead
Cook as per the recipe but keep the baby spinach separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen (don’t freeze the spinach). To serve, warm in a pan with a little oil.
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Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
Have made this one a couple of times, it’s so tasty! Will have to try with zucchini next time
ooh YES for zucchini Lina!
Awesome recipe! So easy and super tasty. I added a Zucchini and 3 Brown Mushroom to have more to go around – delish!
Yum Judith!