Spetsofai Recipe: Greek Sausage and Peppers from Pelion

Spetsofai with sliced sausage, peppers and onion in tomato sauce

Spetsofai comes from Pelion, the green mountain above Volos in central Greece. Thick slices of country sausage are stewed with sweet peppers, onion and tomato in olive oil until the sauce is rich and slightly spicy. It is a one-pan dish that needs nothing more than good bread for the sauce, and it works just as well as a meze for the table.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 40 min

Ingredients

  • 680 g Greek smoked sausage (2 packs of 340 g), in thick slices
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 green pointed peppers, in strips
  • 2 red peppers, in strips
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 400 g chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika, or a pinch of chilli flakes for some heat
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • Salt and pepper
  • Bread, to serve

Method

  1. Brown the sausage slices in 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan for 5 minutes, then take them out.
  2. Add the rest of the oil, then the peppers and onion. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly coloured. Add the garlic for the last minute.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, oregano, paprika and 100 ml water.
  4. Return the sausage, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 more minutes until the sauce is thick.
  5. Taste before you add salt, because the sausage is already salty. Season with pepper and serve hot with bread.

Tips

  • In Pelion a splash of white wine often goes in before the tomatoes. Let it bubble for a minute before you add the rest.
  • Spetsofai is even better the next day, and it makes a great filling for a warm pita.

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Photo: Badseed, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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