Ingredients
for the topping
8 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 red bell peppers, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound spicy Italian sausage, diced to 1/4 inch
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 crusty loaf of bread, such as a baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
additional basil to garnish
Directions
In a medium sauté pan over high heat, heat up 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Once hot, place Italian sausage into the pan and sauté until most of the fat is rendered, about 5-6 minutes. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to let grease drain. Wipe pan with a paper towel, leaving a bit of it.
Return pan to the heat and add remaining olive oil. Once hot, add in onions and sauté until translucent. Add red peppers and sauté until they are soft. Add garlic, oregano and salt and pepper to the mixture. Once the garlic is fragrant (only about 30 seconds), add the diced tomatoes and basil, and cook for only one minute more. Remove from the heat to a work bowl and combine in the Italian sausage.
On each piece of bread, spread a liberal amount of the bruchetta topping. Garnish with additional basil. Note that you should do this just before serving so that the toasts will not get soggy.
