Sausage and Peppers

• A traditional Italian dish, sausage and peppers combines the brazen flavor of sweet or hot Italian sausage with bell peppers and white or yellow onions. After adding 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet, sauté an equal amount of sliced peppers and onions over low heat. Stir periodically for about 20 minutes until the peppers become soft and the onions caramelize. While the peppers and onions cook, place the sausage links in a separate covered skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, turning them frequently. Use a meat thermometer to check that the sausage has reached the proper internal cooking temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Before plating, combine the sausage and pepper mixture into one skillet and stir until well mixed. Serve the sausage, peppers and onions on a platter.

Pasta Dishes

• There are two main methods for cooking the Italian sausage before adding it to your pasta dish. The first entails slicing the sausage casing and cooking the pork mixture in a skillet, which will result in "sausage crumbles." The second calls for cooking the links in a skillet and then slicing them into thin rounds before adding them. Pasta dish ideas include tortellini with mushrooms, fennel and sausage in a cream sauce; or rigatoni and Italian sausage with shaved Parmesan. Whether you use sweet or hot Italian sausage is your choice.

Sandwiches

• Italian sausage makes for a substantial meat at the center of a sandwich. Bursting with flavor, sandwich ideas include sausage, peppers and onions on a roll; sausage and tomato sauce sandwich; or even a "Philly cheesesteak" variety that incorporates a cheese sauce, mushroom and onions where the sausage links take the place of the steak found in the traditional version. The key to making Italian sausage sandwiches is to prepare the sausage in the skillet over medium-high heat until they are cooked through. Whether you want to slice them into rounds or leave the sausage whole for the sandwich is up to personal preference.

Skewers

• If you're looking to fire up the grill for dinner, then preparing Italian sausage skewers makes for a flavorful meal. After cutting the Italian sausage into 1/2- to 1-inch rounds, chop vegetables such as squash, onions and peppers into bite-size pieces. Then alternate meat and vegetables on a skewer, starting at the base and working toward the top. Grill over medium heat until the sausage has cooked through and the vegetables have browned. For an alternate Italian-themed version, after grilling the sausage, alternate placing cherry tomatoes, small mozzarella balls, fresh basil and a piece of sausage on a skewer.