History
Italian families that settled around Holy Rosary Catholic Church in the early 1900s brought the sausage sandwich tradition from southern Italy. The Holy Rosary Italian Street Festival has run since 1984 and serves thousands of sausage sandwiches in two evenings each June. Iaria's, the Italian-American room a few blocks away, has anchored the neighborhood since 1933.
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Common allergens: Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 4 mild Italian sausage links, about 1 1/2 pounds total
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 long soft sandwich rolls
Method
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a wide cast-iron pan over medium-high.
- Brown the sausage links on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Don't fully cook through. Transfer to a plate.
- Add remaining olive oil to the same pan. Add onions and bell peppers, season with salt and pepper. Cook 10 minutes, stirring, until soft and just starting to caramelize.
- Stir in garlic and oregano. Cook 1 minute.
- Return the sausages to the pan, nestle them in the peppers. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until the sausages reach 160 F at the center.
- Split each roll, fill with a sausage and a generous heap of onions and peppers. Serve hot.
Tip from the editors. Don't pierce the sausage skins. The juices that build up inside finish cooking the inside while the outside browns; piercing dries them out.
Where to eat italian sausage sandwich
Italian sausage sandwich in Indianapolis
Iaria's Italian Restaurant ★ 4.3
Iaria's Italian Restaurant holds the same South College corner in Indianapolis since 1933, off the Mass Ave tourist track, with red-sauce family Italian.
Why locals goSame South College corner since 1933 but blocks off the Mass Ave tourist track. Red sauce, the Italian Indianapolis the chains have missed.
TipTuesday to Saturday dinner only. The bar takes walk-ins Word-of-mouth is the only marketing.
More places near Iaria's Italian Restaurant
Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.
- Arlene's Brunch, about 300 m away
- Bluebeard New American, about 450 m away
- Amelia's Bakery Cafe, about 450 m away
- Vida New American, about 1.0 km away
- Slippery Noodle Inn Kitchen New American, about 1.1 km away
- St. Elmo Steak House Steakhouse, about 1.2 km away
More cities are in research. Want italian sausage sandwich covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.