Roasted Italian Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients

8 chicken sausages (regular Italian sausage of any kind will work)
10 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red (Spanish) onion, cut in 1/2 through the stem- end and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 red bell peppers, seeded, deribbed and cut lengthwise into strips 1/4 inch wide
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange the sausages in a roasting pan just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Tuck the thyme sprigs around them. Pour in water to a depth of 1/2 inch. Roast, turning the sausages once or twice, until the water has completely evaporated and the sausages are nicely browned, about 10-15 minutes.

While the sausages are cooking, in a frying pan over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until limp, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer. Stir in the bell peppers and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the peppers just begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

When the sausages have browned, add the bell pepper mixture to the roasting pan along with the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Return the roasting pan to the oven, and continue to roast until the sausages are a deep golden brown and the vegetables are golden, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer to a warmed platter and serve immediately.

Great recipe, simple. Feel free to use lots of onion and the red peppers, they cook down quite a bit. I tried this with spicy Italian sausage, it was great but rather greasy, next time drain the grease from the pan. Also, the water never evaporated, after about 40 minutes in the oven I just boiled it off on the stovetop. Next time try 1/4 inch water.