Tomato braised sausage, known in Greece as “spetzofai”, is a family favorite in our home. The traditional recipe has a slight kick from the spicy sausage. My boys prefer a non-spicy version, which is easily achieved by swapping out the spicy sausage for sweet Italian sausage. It pairs well with pasta, rice, oven roasted potatoes, french fries or a few thick slices of bread, which is how we enjoyed it during a recent trip to the Greek island of Zakinthos.
Ingredients
- Two pounds spicy or sweet Italian sausage
- 4 cups water
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds sliced bell peppers
- 2 large sliced sweet onions
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 ounces tomato paste and 4 cups water or 4 cups tomato sauce
Preparation
- Combine 4 cups of water and the 2 pounds of sausage in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Poke the skin of the sausage and let it cook through for 30 minutes.
- Remove the sausages and drain the pan
- Combine the sliced bell peppers, sliced onion, extra virgin olive oil, and salt in the pan and cook over medium-high for 25 minutes until the peppers and onions have softened. While the onions and peppers are cooking, cut the sausage into rounds
- Add the sausage rounds and tomato sauce to the pan and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes
- Serve with pasta, rice, potatoes, or a nice thick slice of bread.
