Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Italian Sausage and Peppers pasta is a delicious blend of spicy and sweet, with juicy sausage, sautéed peppers, and tender pasta tossed in a savory tomato sauce. Easy to prepare, it’s a delicious meal that will satisfy your craving for comfort food.
Make this a super quick weeknight meal with ready-to-use ingredients; or take your time with from-scratch ingredients to coax the most flavour into this easy dish.
This recipe is one of our favourites — we make it 2 or 3 times every month! And the best part? It’s even betterthe next day!
How long does Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta take to make?
For the quick version, this pasta can be ready in about 30 minutes. This method relies on using some short cuts, such as pre-chopped vegetables and canned marinara sauce, for example.
The low and slow version, using more whole ingredients, takes a little longer — about an hour. This method uses fresh chopped vegetables, canned tomatoes, fresh garlic, and freshly shredded cheese.
Let’s talk about the ingredients for Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Italian Sausage – Here I’ve used Italian sausage that’s already been removed from its casings. In this form, you can get Hot or Mild variations; both work well with this recipe.
Bell Peppers – I like to use one of each colour of bell pepper: red, green, orange, and yellow.
Sweet Onion – The mild, sweet flavour of these onions complement the sausage. You don’t need much, only about ½ an onion.
Garlic – Essential! For this recipe I used fresh garlic cloves, minced.
Tomatoes – I used a can of plain tomato sauce and the large can of whole tomatoes. I really like San Marzano tomatoes in the can, but any whole canned tomato will work! A dab of tomato paste adds richness and depth.
Pasta – Short pasta works best, so I used penne rigate pasta here. Any short pasta will work; try rigatoni, fusilli, and the like.
What are some variations for Italian Sausage and Peppers?
Italian Sausage – You can use Italian Sausage in the casings. Simply remove the casing and crumble the sausage into the pan. Italian sausage comes in Hot or Mild flavours and either will work.
Pasta – Instead of penne, any short pasta will work. Rigatoni, fusilli, gemelli, farfalle (bowties) small shells. Try ravioli!
Tomatoes – I usually use one can of tomato sauce and one large can of San Marzano tomatoes (because I think they taste better!). Go ahead and use other brands, it will turn out great.
Cheese — For speedy prep, I usually use pre-shredded Italian blend cheeses. As an alternative option, try shredded parmesan, romano, or fontina.
Can Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta be Gluten-Free?
Yes, if you ensure your sausage is gluten-free and use gluten-free pasta.
The Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta Method
Low & Slow Method
I first crumble and brown the Italian sausage in a very large frying pan. After it’s browned, I add the onion, tomato paste, and garlic and stir that around.
This is the time to put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add your pasta of choice and stir to ensure nothing sticks.
When the onion starts to soften, after a couple of minutes, I add the chopped bell peppers. I let the bell peppers cook for about 10 minutes, then add the tomato sauce and whole tomatoes (with all of the liquid in the can).
Using a spatula, crush the whole tomatoes while stirring everything together.
Cover with a lid, and cook until the peppers are soft. Depending how thin you sliced your peppers, that could be another 10-20 minutes. During this time, your pasta will be done. Drain (but don’t rinse) the pasta and add to the pan with the rest of the ingredients.
The dish is done when the peppers are soft. Top with shredded cheese and spoon into large bowls.
Super Quick Method
Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add your pasta and stir a few times to keep the pasta from sticking.
Crumble and brown the Italian sausage in the pan over medium high heat, along with the onion, garlic, and tomato paste. Once the sausage is about half-way cooked, add the tomato sauce and whole tomatoes, and the chopped bell peppers, then cover. Once the pasta is done, put it in the pan with the sausage and peppers. Cover and cook until peppers are soft.
The Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta Secret!
Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The secret? This pasta is EVEN BETTER the next day!
Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet with lid
- 1 Large pot
Ingredients
- 12 oz penne rigate pasta or 340g
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or 30ml
- 1 pkg hot Italian sausage
- 1/2 sweet onion sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can plain tomato sauce 12 fl oz or 398ml
- 1 can whole San Marzano tomatoes 26 fl oz or 796ml
- 4 bell peppers, assorted colours chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese or 40g; or grated fresh Parmesan
- fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, add a tablespoon olive oil and crumble and add the Italian sausage. With a spatula, crumble and brown the sausage into small crumbles until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion, tomato paste, and garlic and stir until fragrant.
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add your pasta of choice and stir to ensure nothing sticks.
- When the onion starts to soften, after a couple of minutes, add the chopped bell peppers. Stir the bell peppers for about 10 minutes, then add the tomato sauce and whole tomatoes (with all of the liquid in the can).
- Using a spatula, crush the whole tomatoes while stirring everything together.
- Cover with a lid, and cook until the peppers are soft. Depending how thin you sliced your peppers, that could be another 10-20 minutes.
- During this time, your pasta will be done. Drain (but don’t rinse) the pasta and add to the pan with the rest of the ingredients.
- The dish is done when the peppers are soft. Top with shredded cheese and spoon into large bowls.
Notes
