Ok, it’s official. I think I’m in love. With sausage and cherry peppers, that is. Whoever arranged this marriage was genius.

I discovered this meal at a fancy Italian bistro and truth be told, I was a little timid. I mean, who can pronounce all those fancy words like scarpariello? And what the heck were cherry peppers anyway?

To my surprise, recreating the dish at home was quite easy and successful! Which left me wondering, what would Scarpariello taste like with tomato sauce and red wine? In one word? Awesome. Delicious. Fan-freakin-tastic. Ok, maybe that’s three words.

Did I mention this is also Low-Fodmap and Gluten Free?

Think of this dish as Scarpariello’s close cousin. It’s made with only a handful of ingredients but the combination of flavors gets my cravings going. Never tried cherry peppers? Do you like jalapenos? Think of it as a sweet pickled jalapeno. Sounds weird, I know. They are actually red and green chili peppers but give off more of a mild and sweet flavor with a little heat. Give the little guys some credit and expand your culinary tastes!

I like using ground Sweet Italian sausage for this dish but you could use whatever you like. I don’t like the hassle of cooking sausage links but if that’s your fancy, go for it! The Sweet Italian doesn’t list onion or garlic in the ingredient list so I still count it as low-fodmap. Not following a low-fodmap diet? Try red onion instead of green and add a little garlic for more flavor! Serve this with some gluten-free brown rice noodles and you’re all set!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• green onions, handful roughly chopped (green part only for low-fodmap)
• 16 oz jar of Mezetta Sweet Cherry Peppers
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• red wine, a few splashes
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 16 oz brown rice noodles (Tinkyada Brand) – or however much you want to eat
• grated parmesean cheese

Directions

Chop a handful of green onions and set aside. Remove cherry peppers from jar and lop off the tops. I generally use 2/3 or the entire jar for this recipe. Gently squeeze out the insides and dice each pepper. If you want the dish to be more spicy, include more seeds in the sauce.

Heat a large skillet on med-high heat. When warm, add oil and saute sausage until brown, adding more oil if needed to keep sausage from burning. When sausage has browned, throw in the cherry peppers, giving them a good stir and cook about a minute. Add green onions and stir. Pour in crushed tomatoes adding salt and pepper to taste. Pour in a few splashes of wine for flavor and while you’re at it, go ahead and pour yourself a glass too! Stir and simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is cooking, cook pasta as directed on the package (about 10 minutes). When done, drain and set aside.

When the sauce is done, taste and adjust spices or wine as needed. Serve over noodles and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy with a glass of wine, a salad, and a smile 🙂