Spetzofai: Greek Sausage and Pepper Stew (weird name, greeek taste!)

[Updated 26/02/2025]

Spetzofai is a rustic Greek dish made with country-style sausage, peppers, eggplants and tomatoes, simmered together in olive oil. 

This one-pot meal is perfect for cooler weather, offering a balance of savory, spicy, and tangy flavors. 

A recipe coming from the mountain of the Centaurus, Mt. Pelion (famous in Greek mythology for its half-men, half-horses), it can be enjoyed as a main dish or as a starter.

Ingredients

• 500g (1 lb) Greek, sliced (closest matches: Spanish chorizo or Italian salsiccia)
• 2 bell peppers, sliced
• 1 eggplant, cut into cubes
• 2 potatoes, cut into cubes (optional, but useful if you have children)
• 2 tomatoes cut in cubes (or the equivalent in canned form)
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of water (or enough to cover up to half)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté sausage until browned. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same pan, sauté eggplants, peppers (and potatoes) until soft. Add extra olive oil if needed.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Return the sausage to the pan and add the water.
4. Cover and let simmer for 40 minutes.

Serving Tips & Variations

Serve Spetzofai with crusty bread to soak up the sauce or over rice for a heartier meal. You can also pair it with a side of Greek yogurt to balance the spice. For extra flavor, try adding some crumbled feta cheese on top!

(Old version follows...)

Prepare the vegetables and cut them in big parts. Cut also the sausages in slices or as is if they are small. I live in France, so impossible to find the exact sausages for the recipe, so I use french "diots de savoie" sausages and a spanish chorizo sausage.

 Start by frying slightly the sausages, take them aside and continue by frying again slightly the vegetables.

 Once done, put ALL the ingredients in a low casserole, add water up to half of them, cover and let simmer for about 40min or until it ends up with a nice thick sauce.
Serve with a glass of red wine!