Turn the classic combination of sausage and peppers into an easy weeknight pasta dinner!
Choose your favorite sausage and your favorite pasta, then add some peppers and onions and you have a hearty dinner that everyone loves!
Ready in under 30 minutes, this will become your go to weeknight dinner!
Even though I am retired from teaching, I still appreciate an easy weeknight dinner. One that I can make without thinking. One that I can have on the table in under 30 minutes.
I make some variation of this simple pasta recipe almost every week.
Sometimes we're in the mood for spicy and I use spicy Italian sausage. Sometimes red bell peppers go on sale and I use them instead of green.
So many variations to this sausage and peppers pasta!
Ingredients:
Pasta - I try to buy organic, which is lots easier to find now in regular grocery stores.
Garlic, onions and bell peppers - I use green most often because I like their vegetable flavor and they are inexpensive. When red and yellow bell peppers on sale I use them for their sweeter flavor.
Olive oil - I use a good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil since it brings flavor to this recipe.
Sausage - I usually use Italian or Spicy Italian. You can use chorizo, andouille or even a light chicken or turkey sausage. For a different flavor you can use pork sausage, which I think gives it an almost breakfast feel.
Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese for serving.
Instructions:
Start the pasta water for making the pasta. You'll cook the pasta, while you are making the sauce.
Thinly slice the onions and the bell peppers. Mince the garlic.
Heat a little bit of the olive oil over medium high heat. If you're using a lean sausage, you might want to use more olive oil. If your sausage is fatty, use less or none at all.
Brown the sausage until no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.
Add the onions, garlic, and peppers to the skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes or just until crisp tender.
Note - You should begin cooking the pasta now, if you haven't started it already. You are trying to time it so that it finishes, right when you are finished with the sauce.
The sauce can be kept warm, just turn it to low, if the pasta takes a little bit longer to cook. Rather than draining the pasta, I like to scoop it out straight into the skillet. This way you get a little bit of the pasta water to help make the sauce even creamier.
If you want the pasta even more saucier, you can scoop out some of the pasta water and add it to the skillet.
Add the pasta to the skillet. Stir to combine and taste and adjust for seasonings.
Serve topped with fresh grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino.
So easy and so yummy.
We used a spicy Italian sausage this time and it was perfect. The little bit of fat from browning the sausage mixes with the little bit of pasta water to create a light and flavorful sauce.
We like to top ours with grated cheese (of course!) I usually use Parmesan or Pecorino and alway have a wedge in my fridge.
Note - buy Parmesan or Pecorino in a wedge and grate it yourself. It keeps a long time in your fridge and the flavor is outstanding! I use my microplane to make a fine grating - and I find I need much less cheese!
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Recipe
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Pasta with Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 green peppers thinly sliced
- 2 onions thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced or sliced
- 8 oz pasta
- olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cook pasta in boiling, salted water per directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining. (You'll cook the pasta as you are making the sauce.)
- Heat a little olive oil over medium high heat (use more oil if your sausage is lean.)
- Brown the sausage, stirring to break it up, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the onions, garlic and bell peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes, until the peppers are crisp tender.
- Add the cooked pasta and a little of the pasta water if you want the pasta more moist. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Serve with a fresh grating of Parmesan cheese.
Pinned for later, going to make for dinner next week! Love how simple it is with just a few real good ingredients 🙂
I love how quickly this dish comes together. It is perfect for a week night meal.
I have a feeling that my family would love this! Definitely adding this to the weekly dinner rotation soon. 🙂
I love this pasta! The sausage and peppers give it ALL the flavor with little effort. It's the perfect weeknight recipe...thanks! 🙂
I'm pasta obsessed and love anything with sausage, so this sounds perfect! I love that you can get it on the table in 30 minutes -- this will definitely have to make a regular appearance on our menu!
What a simple and tasty recipe. My family loved this and I can't wait to make it again.
My husband loves pasta and is always wanting me to find new pasta recipes! Thanks!
I want to try this soon! I love pepper (although I like red peppers much better). This will be in my next hit list!
This looks good, but what in the world is smoked Fatty? I have never heard this before? Anything pasta is DELICIOUS!!
This is twice in as many days that I've heard someone mention a smoked fatty (which never fails to make me smile). This sounds delicious!
I love sausage and pepper hoagies too - great idea making it into pasta! Looks like the perfect weeknight meal.
Looks delicious thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning.
Smoked fatty, love that name! We had this same meal last night for dinner, but with turkey Italian sausage. Will give the smoked option a try.
I'm always impressed by your organizational skills. Freezer, pantry and pasta drawer all seem well in order at your house. GREG
You have the best food photos...seriously, I'm not a big fan of sausage, but suddenly I am craving a bite of this dish!!
Coming from Across the Pond as I do, what pray tell, is a hoagie?
A smoked fatty.
Patty, you've taught me something new today--and I'm glad.
I have (unsmoked) sausage in the fridge and it's amazing how much flavor a small amount can provide to a dish.
I'm starting to see the light (literally) at the back of the freezer as I use up more and more goodies in anticipation of the coming CSA season.
I too have had a glut of peppers at times--I've never tried just chucking them whole into the freezer (I've done that with cherry tomatoes, though!). I've put mine up chopped though and it's so easy to toss them, frozen, right into the pan to cook.
Thanks for a great idea--I'm craving the comfort of pasta today!
Such an easy weeknight dinner!