Spicy Stewed Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Dan's birthday was earlier this week and as a part of the celebration, I decided to make him dinner. I wanted to try something new, so I dug for a recipe and came across this Spicy Stewed Sausages with Three Peppers on the Food&Wine website. I didn't need as large of a portion as the recipe called for so I cut it in half and also served it over pasta instead of bread. It turned out great!

Recipe

1 lb sweet italian sausage (pricked all over with a fork)

Olive Oil

1 red bell pepper cut into 1-inch dice

1 green bell pepper cut into 1-inch dice

1 yellow bell pepper cut into 1-inch dice

1/2 red onion thinly sliced

1/2 small fennel bulb-trimmed, cored and thinly sliced

2 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise

1 habanero chile, seeded and thinly sliced

salt

1/2 cup dry red wine (I chose an Italian blend so that I could drink the rest!)

1/2 cup of freshly grated pecorino cheese

1/2 lb of whole wheat pasta (or any pasta of your choosing)

Light a grill. Brush the sausages with olive oil and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning, until nicely charred and just cooked through, about 16 minutes total. If you have a large cast iron skillet, set this on the grill and add about 1T. to the pan. If you don't have a cast iron skillet, feel free to use a regular frying pan on the stove. Once you've added the olive oil , add the peppers, onion, fennel and chiles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt. Slice the sausages into pieces and add to the pan. Add the wine to the pan as well and simmer until it is reduced to about half, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle about half the cheese over the mixture. Serve atop the noodles and pass the remaining cheese.