Fresh summer tomatoes, sausage, and basil simmer together to form a meal packed with flavor! This can be served as-is, or as a chunky sauce with pasta or rice. It’s the perfect way to put those extra summer tomatoes to good use!
Confession: I have 16 tomato plants right now. I wasn’t even planning to have a garden because I thought we were going to move by summer (COVID really delayed that one), but one Sunday in March I decided to put 10 tomato plants in the ground on a whim. That seemed like the maximum amount I should plant given how much space I had. Then, a few hours later a friend showed up and surprised me with 6 mini tomato plants. I couldn’t let them go to waste, so I squeezed them between my already-perfectly spaced plants. I now have 16 full-size plants. A tomato forest, if you will.
(This is my absolute favorite online shop for garden inspiration and seed purchases. From maiz morado (purple corn) to Brad’s atomic grape tomatoes, I’ve had lots of luck with their quality products. One day I’ll own my dream house complete with multiple garden boxes, and I’ll grow all sorts of unique items thanks to Baker Creek.)
One of my favorite ways to get creative with cooking is having an abundance of one item (ahem, tomatoes), and figuring out what to do with them. I also love seasonal items because they have so much flavor that even simple recipes really let them shine.
About this summer tomato skillet
This is a classic Chapi recipe, meaning fresh seasonal eats and minimal dishes. First you cook the sausage until it’s cooked through. Then in the same skillet, you cook the onions until they’re soft, toss in the tomatoes and other flavorful items, and simmer away. I like serving this with either rice or pasta, and sometimes with a generous scattering of goat cheese on top. Enjoy!
Summer Tomato and Sausage Skillet
Fresh tomatoes get stewed with sausage and basil to form the most flavorful meal. This can be served as-is, or served with as a chunky pasta sauce over pasta or rice.
Ingredients
- 16 oz uncooked sausage I used Italian-style turkey sausage.
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, chopped
- 3 tbsp basil, minced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp olive oil and the entire package of sausage (with casings removed, if there are any). Cook roughly 10 minutes, crumbling the large pieces and tossing occasionally. Once the sausage is thoroughly cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Do not clean out the pan.
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Add remaining 3 tbsp oil to the empty skillet. Reduce the heat to low-medium and add diced onion. Sauté 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Then add minced garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp ground pepper and cook an additional 3 minutes.
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Add chopped tomatoes and basil to the skillet. Stir until combined, then simmer for about 20 minutes over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. If there are large tomato chunks try to smash them as it cooks.
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Finally, add cooked sausage to the skillet and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Be sure to taste and see if it needs additional salt or pepper.
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Serve with rice or pasta, and maybe a big scattering of goat cheese on top. Enjoy!
Other favorite recipes to use up that abundance of summer tomatoes include:
This quinoa and roasted summer vegetable gratin topped with tons of tomatoes. Featuring protein, carbs, veggies, and cheese… it hits all the important food groups and makes amazing leftovers.
This classic roasted tomato and basil soup is PACKED with flavor. Every time I make it (which is at least once per summer) I’m always surprised by just how good it is. It’s a keeper!
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