Sausage Peppers Pasta (Printable format)

Savory sausage and colorful peppers combined with pasta in a rich tomato sauce for a hearty meal.

# List of ingredients:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
04 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced
05 - 1 large onion, thinly sliced
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Pasta

07 - 12 oz penne or rigatoni pasta

→ Sauce & Seasonings

08 - 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 1 tsp dried oregano
11 - 1/2 tsp dried basil
12 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Others

14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
16 - Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

# How to make it:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water, and set pasta aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it apart with a spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add sliced bell peppers and onion. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes.
06 - Return sausage to skillet and stir to combine. Simmer mixture for 3 to 4 minutes, adding reserved pasta water as needed to adjust sauce consistency.
07 - Add drained pasta to skillet and toss to coat evenly. Heat through for 1 to 2 minutes.
08 - Plate pasta and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sausage becomes almost creamy once it breaks down into the sauce, creating a richness that doesn't need cream.
  • Those three bell peppers caramelize just enough to add sweetness that balances the acid in the tomatoes beautifully.
02 -
  • The biggest mistake is cooking the garlic too long or over too high heat—it goes from fragrant to burnt with almost no warning, so watch it like a hawk.
  • Don't drain your pasta bone dry; that starchy water is the secret to sauce that actually clings instead of sliding off.
03 -
  • Taste the sauce before you add the pasta and adjust the seasoning then—it's much easier than trying to fix it after everything is combined.
  • Keeping that pasta water close by is the difference between sauce that coats the noodles and sauce that slides off them.
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