Mediterranean Sausage and Peppers – Spetzofai –
The Mediterranean version of a favorite combo! In this Greek recipe colorful bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, garlic and a touch of sausage are cooked to perfection. Perfect with a good chunk of feta!
I do not think I have ever posted a recipe with sausage, but I am making an exception here for this, it is absolutely delicious and it happens to be one of the most popular winter dishes in Greece! This traditional Greek sausage and pepper skillet is known as Spetzofai, pronounced “spetz-o-fy”. And it consists of peppers stewed with sausage, tomato and a bit of garlic. Served with tangy feta. Of course I have added extra veggies, a bit less sausage and the flavor is equally amazing.
This is a traditional dish from the area around mount Pelion in Greece. The name of the dish appears to come from the word spentzes which refers to a type of green pepper (in Greek), and/or the word spezia which means spice in Italian.
Pelion is a mountain in central Greece, and it is breathtaking. It has 24 villages which have maintained their traditional architecture and are wonderful to visit summer and winter. Speaking of winter, how many of you would think of visiting Greece in the winter? I know most people don’t associate Greece with winter or mountains, instead they think beaches, islands and summer. But did you know that Greece is 80% mountainous? And we actually have ski resorts! There are so many things to discover in Greece in the winter. If you are a bit curious, I would suggest you check out this list of 5 off the grid things to do in the winter in Greece (full disclosure: this list was compiled by a seasoned travel journalist, who has literally been to all corners of Greece, so she knows her stuff and she happens to be my sister).
How to Make Spetzofai
So, enough about travel, let’s talk about this dish. Τhis dish is traditionally made with whole green spicy peppers (like these), garlic, tomato and sausage. The dish is typically served as an appetizer, especially after a day of hiking in the cold (or skiing) and is perfect with a bit of tsipouro, a grape distillate similar to grappa. However, I found this to be great on top of pasta, which is how I served it to my kids, and also on top of a slice of toasted hearty whole grain bread (which is how I ate it) sprinkled with feta. This was delicious! Here I used my large cast iron pan and added red and green bell peppers cut in strips (to making it kid friendly and not too spicy), chopped tomato, garlic and olive oil. I only added 3 ounces of a traditional Greek sausage to the whole recipe (no need for more as that is enough for the flavor), and you can use other types of sausage such as turkey or chicken instead. While we hardly eat any processed meats (deli meats, etc.), I’ll occasionally make an exception if we are out and there is a local traditional sausage.
A Healthier Recipe
I used 2/3 less olive oil than the traditional recipe calls for as I was having it as a main course. Appetizer type dishes tend to be rich since you only have small amounts, hence the higher amounts of olive oil, but since I would be serving it as part of the meal, I made it a bit lighter.
Peppers are known to be rich in vitamin C (especially the red ones) and antioxidants. Plus, you are getting more antioxidants with the tomato and the olive oil. I used 4 large bell peppers and plenty of chopped tomato (fresh or canned is fine), which corresponds to about 2 servings of vegetables person. I have to add that this is a ridiculously easy and quick recipe. You use only a few ingredients that most of us have at home, do a quick sauté, then a simmer and it is ready!
Mediterranean Sausage and Peppers – Spetzofai
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers sliced
- 2 green bell peppers sliced
- 3 ounces sliced sausage
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves sliced thinly
- 1 A pinch of sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces chopped tomato
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons Dry oregano
Accompaniments
- Whole Grain Bread
- Feta
- Pasta or rice
Instructions
- In a large pan heat the olive oil.
- Sauté the peppers and sausage for about 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, salt and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds, and then add the tomato. Stir well.
- Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add very little hot water if needed while simmering.
- Remove from pan. Sprinkle some oregano and add some pepper.
- Serve warm on pasta or rice or with bread and crumbled feta.
Notes
SAVE FOR LATER AND PIN IT!
This was so good and flavorful! I have a wheat allergy and my husband is diabetic so we stay away from bread and pasta. We made a Parmesan garlic cauliflower rice to replace the pasta/bread, and used shredded Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the top. The flavors went well together and my family of 5 at it all. We were disappointed that there were no leftovers
Im going to make it with sausage meat .pepper and onions and sauce with cut up tomatoes
of course garlic but think of putting it on a hot dog bun ? And make sweet potato squash on the side?
What ya think
The hot dog bun might be too soft, better with a heartier bread.
I do love Greek spaghetti sauce I bold my sausage an drain ,it makes the sauce not so greasy then I add the rest .my husband never liked spaghetti now he loves it ,without all the grease. I use only sausage mild.
Thanks for the tip Sandra! And glad you liked the recipe!
I do love Greek spaghetti sauce I bold my sausage an drain ,it makes the sauce not so greasy then I add the rest .my husband never liked spaghetti now he loves it ,without all the grease.
just make this with locanico.. yummy meal on a cold winter day. t]
So versatile. I really crumble the sausage up so it gets all through. I buy 1 lb. and cut it into four section and freeze the other three to have on hand to throw this together. I use only red and Orange peppers because to me green peppers get bitter when cooked. It’s also good on scrambled eggs or on toast with a poached egg. Or on baked potato.
Hi Karen,Thank you for sharing your ideas!
I love the flavors of this dish! I used mild Italian sausage, which complimented the peppers perfectly. Next time, I will slice the peppers more thinly so they cook down a bit more (to create more of a chunky sauce). I served this over a small amount of whole wheat fusilli. Delicious!
Started following your blog and eating Mediterranean about 7 months ago. I was 240 lb and Blood Pressure was 138/89. I’m now at 193 with a Blood Pressure of 117/70.
Congratulations Mike! Thank you for sharing!
I never used Turkey Sausage but was wondering if I did would it still be considered part of a Mediterranean diet?
Hi Karen, Typically pork sausage is what was consumed, but it was an occasional food. Poultry though in general was the go-to meat on weekends, so turkey would be fine nutritionally speaking.
Thanks for your response, Elena. This meal is on the plan for this weekend. Can’t wait to try it.
Has anyone tried this in a slow cooker? We’re hoping to make this for a small group of 6 adults, but would love to have it cooking while we have a pre dinner meeting, making it out of the pot ready to go!
I have not Dan, but generally it does not require much checking while it is cooking.
Made this dish tonight. It was amazing!
Thank you for sharing Simon!
I doubled the sausage – used locally made lamb & spinach sausage from our local market – and it was delicious. Cut it in small pieces.
Made this dish tonight. It was amazing! Added extra sausage because my husband loves lots of meat.
Thank you for sharing Laura!
Elena, I have never been much of a sausage lover, but when I have visited Greece I have had a few wonderful dishes with sausage and peppers or sausage and cheese. Do you have any suggestions on what sausage in the US I could purchase that is similar to the flavors of Greek sausage?
You could choose a mild Italian sausage. Greek sausage is often made with orange peel or leek so looking for those flavors also work.
3 ounces of sausage? that can’t be right
Yep! It is! I only added a small amount of sausage as I mention in the post, just for the taste.