Spicy Sausage & Red Wine Stew Sandwich

This recipe can be served as a sandwich and is also delicious served over pasta. Choose a nice crusty roll that will hold the stew.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds Ferrara’s hot or mild Italian sausage
6 garlic cloves; chopped
2 red bell peppers; sliced
1 green pepper; sliced
1 large yellow onion; sliced
12 ounces mushrooms; sliced
1½ cups red wine
3 cups marinara (recipe on page 28)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; optional
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
6 to 8 fresh French or crusty-style rolls
8 ounces mozzarella; optional
1 pound of pasta; optional

Heat the oil in a heavy large 4-to-6 quart skillet over medium heat. Add the raw sausage, cut into 1-inch slices, and cook until light brown for about 10 minutes, stirring as browning. Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the garlic, peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Sauté for about 5 to 8 minutes while scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Add the wine, and reduce by half. Add the marinara, and bring to a simmer. Add the salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Continue simmering until the sauce has thickened, about 15 more minutes. Split the rolls in half lengthwise, and hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, if nice and crusty, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with the sausage mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese cover with the top half of the roll, and serve sandwiches immediately. You can also cover the filled bottom half of the roll with Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and bake at 375 degrees until the mozzarella is melted. Now you can eat the sandwich as an open face with a knife and fork. This recipe is also delicious and served over pasta.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings | Recipe by Chef Bo