Sausage Peppers Pasta (Printable)

A flavorful dish combining savory sausage, sweet peppers, and tender pasta in a vibrant tomato sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy), 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. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water, and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned and fully cooked, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add sliced bell peppers and onions. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
05 - Incorporate tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, oregano, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes.
06 - Return browned sausage to the skillet and stir to combine. Simmer together for 3 to 4 minutes, adding reserved pasta water as needed to adjust sauce consistency.
07 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat with sauce. Heat through for 1 to 2 minutes.
08 - Serve topped with chopped fresh parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under 45 minutes, which means weeknight dinner that feels like you actually tried.
  • The peppers turn soft and almost melting, the sausage flavors everything, and your kitchen smells incredible the entire time.
  • It's the kind of dish that tastes even better as leftovers the next day when all the flavors have gotten to know each other.
02 -
  • Don't cook the sauce too fast or the tomatoes will split and separate—keep it at a gentle simmer and the flavors stay smooth and unified.
  • The pasta water is not optional; its starch is the secret that turns everything into a silky, cohesive dish instead of loose components.
  • Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning in the last minute, because salty sausage and salty pasta water mean you need less salt than you think.
03 -
  • Don't skip browning the sausage properly—those golden, caramelized bits that stick to the pan are flavor gold and they'll dissolve into the sauce if you let them.
  • Reserve your pasta water before you do anything else, because once you need it and realize you drained it away, there's no going back.
  • Finish with fresh Parmesan that you grate yourself right over the bowl, because pre-grated cheese has anti-caking agents that stop it from melting into the warm pasta the way it should.
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