An easy dinner made with only a few ingredients, this Sausage and Peppers Pasta is filled with tons of flavor from Italian sausage, fresh bell peppers, and tomatoes.
Oh, how I love a good pasta dinner! And sausage and peppers together are one of my favorites. (I even put them on pizza!) So you know I’ll love it when they are combined, like in this Sausage and Peppers Pasta!
We are at that time of year when I start craving the comfort foods of fall, but it’s still to warm outside for stews or super heavy meals.
But I love this Sausage and Peppers Pasta, because I get the comfort from the carbs (yes to pasta!) with the freshness of the bell peppers, which should be abundant right now. Throw in some sausage, and this is a dinner that will get gobbled right up.
INGREDIENTS
Here is what you’ll need – these ingredients should all be really easy to find, or even in your pantry!
- Penne Pasta
- Olive Oil
- Mild Italian Sausage
- Bell Peppers
- Onion
- Garlic
- Canned Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Sauce
- Italian Seasoning
- Salt and Pepper
- Red Pepper Flakes
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Cook the pasta until al dente. Set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sausages, and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through.
- Remove the sausages and cut into slices.
- In the same skillet, cook the bell peppers and onions, adding in the garlic the last 30 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices, and cooked sausage pieces.
- Stir it all together and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
Once the sauce is slightly thickened and all of the flavors have combined, stir the sauce into the cooked noodles. It’s now ready to serve!
TIPS AND TRICKS
*For an extra kick, use spicy sausages. Or you can use a mixture of mild and spicy.
*You can use any color of bell peppers, but I like to use an assortment. And I prefer red, yellow and orange peppers for this recipe because they are a little bit sweeter than green, but green will work as well.
*I like penne pasta the best, but you can use any short cut pasta that you want. A longer cut pasta (like spaghetti) may work as well, but won’t hold onto the sauce as well.
*The longer you simmer the sauce, the more intense the flavor will be, and the thicker it will be. That being said, I think 15 minutes totally works with this recipe, and makes it so it’s a great weeknight meal.
*You could also add in any other vegetables you have on hand. I think some sliced zucchini or broccoli florets would be a great way to get even more vegetables in.
*I like to top mine with a bit of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a bit of parsley for some freshness.
More Favorite Pasta Dinners
Penne Pasta Bake
One Pan Pasta with Bacon and Peas
Shrimp Alfredo
Cincinnati Chili
Tuscan Pasta with Sausage
Skillet Pasta with Sausage
Skillet Lasagna
Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb penne pasta or other short cut pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 18 ounce package mild Italian sausage
- 3 bell peppers I like colored, seeded and diced
- 1/2 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 can 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt generously, then add the pasta. Cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and fry until browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove from the pan to a cutting board. Let the sausages cool slightly, then cut them into 3/4” to 1” pieces. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the bell peppers and onion. Cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, the sliced sausage, the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir it all together and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.
- Pour the sausage mixture over the cooked and drained pasta and stir to combine.
- Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Chocolate Shavings says
What a hearty bowl of pasta, looks delicious!
squirrelbread says
interesting! i will definitely have to give this a try with the roasted fennel pasta tomorrow night!
cheers,
*heather*
The Comfort of Cooking says
What a wonderful dish! You always come up with the yummiest dinners. Definitely saving this to try soon!
Also, if you’re interested, I’m having a silicone muffin pan giveaway on my blog – You should enter!
Joanne says
Fast and easy? I'm all over this.
kat says
Yum, this is a great quick pasta!
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
A delicious meal! That combination is great.
Cheers,
Rosa
Debbi Does Dinner Healthy says
I love quick and easy meals! This looks delicious! Thanks!
bellini valli says
Thank goodness for leftovers:D Not everything is good as a leftover but in my humble opinion this pasta dish would sing.