Sausage and Potato Pie

• olive oil↗2 tablespoons
• large red pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into strips 1/4-inch wide↗1
• medium zucchini, thinly sliced1
• minced garlic cloves2 teaspoons
• black pepper↗1⁄2 teaspoon
• fresh basil, minced (or 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley mixed with 2 teaspoons crumbled dried basil)↗1⁄4 cup
• sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (or kielbasa, sliced or ham, sliced)↗1 lb
• medium potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced↗3
• parmesan cheese, grated (4 ounces)↗1 cup
• mozzarella cheese, shredded (or Monterey Jack, fontina, or Cheddar cheese, 8 ounces)↗2 cups

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 425°.

2. 2

   Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat for 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add the red pepper and zucchini and sauté, stirring occasionally until soft, about 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Stir in the garlic, black pepper and basil, and sauté 2 minutes longer.

5. 5

   Add the sausage, breaking up any clumps, and sauté until no longer pink but not quite cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

6. 6

   Toss the potatoes with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

7. 7

   Spread 1/4 of the potatoes, overlapping slightly, over the bottom of a lightly greased 10-inch pie pan or a 13" x 9" x 2" baking dish.

8. 8

   Spread 1/3 of the skillet mixture on top, followed by 1/3 each of the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Press each layer down with your hands.

9. 9

   Repeat the layers twice, finishing with a top layer of potatoes.

10. 10

    Cover the pie with foil, set in the lower third of the oven, and bake for 40 minutes.

11. 11

    Remove the foil and bake until the potatoes are crisp and cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more.

12. 12

    Remove the pie from oven and let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature. Carefully pour off any fat, then cut the pie into wedges. Serves 6.