Members’ Journal
Baked Italian Sausage with Green Peppers and Mozzarella
Big Daddy's Bistro
Published
A red-sauce dinner of Italian sausage, green peppers, melted mozzarella, and spaghetti, made again for Saturday’s table.
Friday’s dinner returned to a classic sausage-and-peppers pairing, finished as a bubbling oven bake. At Big Daddy’s Bistro, browned Italian sausage was set among softened green pepper and onion in a tomato sauce seasoned with garlic and oregano, then covered with mozzarella for its final turn in the oven.
The photograph captures the dish at its most inviting: an oval baking dish brimming with red sauce, green pepper strips around the edges, and a generous blanket of cheese bronzed in mottled spots. The mozzarella has melted into the sauce without losing its presence, giving the sausages and peppers an unmistakably hearty finish.
Spaghetti completed the dinner, ready to take on a little of the savory tomato sauce. It is a straightforward, comforting plate—Italian sausage, peppers, pasta, and bubbling cheese—served hot from the oven.
Tonight’s Menu
Baked Italian sausage with green peppers, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and spaghetti
Open the Recipe Card
# Baked Italian Sausage, Green Pepper & Mozzarella
**Yield:** 2 diners · **Heat:** 400°F oven, medium skillet · **Time:** about 35 minutes
## Ingredients
– 3 Italian sausage links, about 12 oz total
– 1 large green bell pepper, cut into ½-inch strips
– ½ medium onion, thinly sliced
– 1½ tbsp olive oil, divided
– 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 1½ cups crushed or diced canned tomatoes
– ½ tsp dried oregano
– Pinch red-pepper flakes, optional
– Salt and black pepper
– 4 oz mozzarella, shredded or torn
– 1 tbsp grated Parmesan, optional
– 6 oz dry spaghetti
– Torn basil or parsley, optional
## Equipment & Before You Start
– Heat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.
– Set a pot of salted water over high heat for the spaghetti; cover it to bring it to a boil while the sausage dish bakes.
## Steps
1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the sausage links for 5–7 minutes total, turning until well colored but not cooked through. Transfer to the baking dish.
2. Add the remaining ½ tbsp olive oil to the skillet. Add the bell pepper, onion, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 6–8 minutes, until softened and lightly colored.
3. Stir in the garlic, oregano, red-pepper flakes if using, and black pepper; cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 3–4 minutes.
4. Spoon the pepper-tomato sauce around the sausages. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
5. While the dish bakes, cook the spaghetti in the boiling salted water until just tender. Reserve a splash of pasta water, then drain.
6. Remove the foil. Scatter the mozzarella and Parmesan, if using, over the sausages and peppers. Bake uncovered for 7–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the sausage centers reach 160°F.
7. Rest the baking dish for 3 minutes. Toss the spaghetti with a little sauce from the dish, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen.
## Watch For
– Brown the sausages without cooking them through before baking.
– Serve only when the sausage centers reach 160°F.
– Keep the mozzarella bubbling but avoid overbaking until it browns heavily.
## Plate & Present
Twirl half the spaghetti onto one warm plate and top with 2 sausages, peppers, sauce, and mozzarella. Plate the remaining sausage over the saucy peppers and mozzarella on the second plate. Finish with black pepper and basil or parsley, if using; wipe the rims and serve hot.