Pesto Grilled Sausages with Bell Peppers and Onions
The combination of grilled sausages, peppers and onions is a magical one, and it’s made even more magical here with the addition of Armanino Basil Pesto.
Ingredients
4 bell peppers (any combination of red, yellow, orange, green)
2 sweet or red onions
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
8 sweet Italian sausages (about 2lbs)
¼ cup Armanino Basil Pesto
8 (6-inch) sub rolls
Directions
Cut the peppers into quarters and discard the stem and seeds.
Cut the onions in half through the root end. Peel and discard the outer layers. Cut the onions into wedges, cutting each half into thirds through the root end (making it easier to grill).
Preheat grill to medium and oil the grate to prevent sticking. For a charcoal grill, when the charcoal is fully lit and covered in gray ash pour the coals across half of the grill and leave the other half empty. For a gas grill, turn half the burners to medium. If your gas grill only has one set of burners, turn to medium-low.
In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper then toss the bell pepper quarters and onion wedges in the mixture.
Grill the peppers (skin side down) and onions in the middle of the grill, moving to the cooler side if cooking too quickly, covered for 20-25 minutes total, turning halfway through until tender and lightly charred.
Remove the vegetables from the grill, place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool while you grill the sausages.
Place sausages on cooler side of grill, cover and cook for 5 minutes then turn and cook for 5 minutes more (10 minutes total) until golden brown and cooked through.
When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut the peppers into ¼” wide strips. Add back to the bowl with the onions, add the pesto and toss to combine.
Serve the grilled sausages and vegetables on crusty sub rolls with additional pesto.
Chef’s Tips
For tender peppers and onions, grill slowly over moderate heat. When finished grilling, placing in a covered bowl to let rest and steam a little while cooling will help too.
When cutting the onions into wedges, make sure to keep the root end intact. It will hold all the onion layers together, making grilling much easier.
The pesto sauce will stay bright and vibrant if mixed with room temperature– rather than hot – vegetables.
