A good sausage sandwich is a staple for Ginny and I. My obsession started when I was a teen in my hometown of Olean, NY. Our favorite after school hang was a place called Angee’s. This was a great little Italian restaurant that served up The Baron Sausage Sandwich. This consisted of a great sausage link in a Angee roll smothered in peppers and onions. I would always add a little of his red sauce to it to make it just right.
Now every time we are in or near Clean, we head over to Angee’s for a sandwich. As a side note, the Angee Roll is commercially available as the Service Store Park and Shop in Clean. The sell them in bags of 8 and they are sold under the Swatt’s Angel Rolls brand. Pick these up, they are delightful, eat them quickly or freeze. They will last a week or so in the freezer.
As we travel we always keep our eyes open for a good sausage sammie. One of the best was found years ago at the Great NY State Fair. Basilio’s Sausages Sandwich has been a fair staple since 1958. Paul the owner is still alive today and you will see him from time to time at the stand. Paul started making sausage in Canastota, NY.
I lived there for a number of years and could buy his sausage in a local store he also ran. Today you can find everything but his Fair sausage at Tops in Canastota, the fair sausage is a special batch. I would highly recommend it. We stock up, seal a meal and freeze three or four rings to make our own version of the Sausage Sandwich that I have revealed below.
Sausage, Peppers and Onions
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
- 2 red bell peppers sliced
- 2 yellow onions sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup Marsala wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15-ounce
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.
- Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.
- Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
- Serve in bowls. Or, if serving as a sandwich, split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.
