Weeknight Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Sausage, peppers, pasta — done in 30 minutes, zero debate required.
This is the recipe for the nights when you've been staring at the fridge for ten minutes and still have no idea what you're making. Sausage and peppers is one of those combinations that just works — savory, a little sweet, satisfying without being heavy. You cook the sausage and peppers in the same pan, toss in some canned tomatoes, and let the pasta finish right in the sauce. Cleanup is minimal, the flavor is genuinely good, and you'll have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. Expect a cozy, slightly saucy pasta that tastes like you planned it all along.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage — sweet or hot, casings removed
- 2 unit bell peppers — any color, thinly sliced
- 1 unit yellow onion — thinly sliced
- 4 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes — optional, to taste
- 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 0.5 cup chicken broth — or pasta water
- 12 oz rigatoni or penne pasta — cooked separately according to package directions
- 1 pinch salt and black pepper — to taste
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley — roughly chopped, optional garnish
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan — for serving, optional
Method
- 1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- 2 While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 3 Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into chunks, until browned and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- 4 Add the sliced onion and peppers to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to char at the edges, about 6–7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- 5 Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 6 Pour in the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- 7 Return the sausage to the skillet. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- 8 Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- 9 Serve topped with fresh parsley and Parmesan if desired.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Use plant-based Italian sausage or swap in 2 cans of white beans (drained and rinsed) for the protein. Add a pinch of fennel seed to keep that sausage-adjacent flavor.
- Faster swap — Use pre-sliced frozen pepper and onion strips — no chopping needed. They go straight from the bag to the hot pan and cook in about the same time.
- Chicken sausage substitute — Swap pork sausage for pre-cooked chicken sausage links, sliced into coins. Brown them in the pan for 3 minutes per side instead of breaking them up, and skip the draining step.
Notes
Hot Italian sausage gives this more kick; sweet keeps it family-friendly. Don't skip reserving pasta water — a splash or two helps the sauce cling to the pasta beautifully. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of water or broth in a covered pan over low heat.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet (12-inch) — A wide surface area lets the peppers and onions sear instead of steam, which builds flavor faster.
- Large pot — Cooking pasta in plenty of water prevents sticking and gives you the starchy pasta water the sauce needs.
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