This rich and fulfilling Sausage Pepper Pasta is a divine mix of onions, peppers, red wine, tomatoes, herbs, sausage and more. It is a great fall and winter meal that is easy enough for a weeknight meal, but one that you might want on a weekend or for company.
Do you love sausage pasta and want more? Then try our Chicken Sausage Pasta or Pasta with Sausage, Zucchini and Tomatoes.
Penne is a great choice for a Sausage Pepper Pasta. It helps grab the sauce and stands up to the sausage and peppers well. You could also use a spaghetti or a tagliatelle too.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Bold rich flavors
- Love sausage in a pasta dish
- Company worthy
- Great Italian meal
- Simple recipe to follow
Helpful Items for This Recipe
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Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Signature Round Dutch Oven, 7.25 qt., Cerise
Kitchen Premium Stainless Steel Pasta Fork with Teeth – 12” Pasta Server
Ingredients In Sausage Pepper Pasta
Simple ingredients and lots you may already have on hand.
Recipe Ingredients
Italian sausage – You can use mild or hot, or a mixture of both. I would stay with a pork sausage for this recipe, as it stands up in flavor to the rest of the ingredients.
Olive oil – A good, stronger EVOO stands up in the sauce.
Yellow onions – Just regular yellow cooking onions work great.
Red peppers – These need to be seeded and cut into medium julienne. The long strips work well in this pasta as opposed to a dice.
Dry red wine – Use a wine that you would drink, but nothing expensive.
Canned Italian plum tomatoes – Also include the juice from the canned tomatoes.
Water – This is used to thin the sauce slightly and to help cook the sausage and keep them moist.
Dried oregano, dried thyme, Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, Pinch of dried chili flakes (optional), fennel seeds – All the flavor from just a small amount of these herbs and spices.
Parsley – You will use chopped in the sauce, plus more for garnish. Always adds a fresh flavor.
Garlic cloves – This gives the sauce so much flavor, especially when you use lots. Just peel and finely chop.
Parmesan cheese – This is used for the topping.
How To Make Sausage Pepper Pasta
Prick the sausage links all over with a fork and place in a large Dutch oven with 1/2 inch of water.
Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the water is evaporated. Continue to cook the sausage, frying them in their own fat, turning them occasionally.
Allow them to cook for about 10 minutes or until well browned. Remove the sausages from the pan to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside.
Pour the fat out of the pan, but don’t wash it out. Add the olive oil and onions to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, covered, until tender, 15 – 20 minutes, stirring often.
Add the water, wine, 2 cans of tomatoes with the juices, oregano, thyme, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and chili flakes, if using. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes, adding more water if needed.
Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
After the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, add the julienne red peppers, sausage slices, and fennel seeds to the pan. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
After simmering for 20 minutes, add the chopped parsley and minced garlic and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve over penne pasta with grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley.
Enjoy!
Recipe Pro Tips
Tips for Cooking Pasta
Pasta is not hard to cook if you understand a few things and learn a couple of tips. Let me help you with the following:
- Always salt your pasta water to the salinity of the ocean, so your pasta is seasoned when serving. The ratio of pasta, salt and water is this: 1 pound of pasta to 1 tablespoon of salt to 16 cups of water. I use Kosher salt for this.
- Do not rinse your pasta, as the starch on the pasta helps the sauce adhere to it.
- Stir the pasta occasionally to prevent it from clumping.
- Cook your pasta to “al dente”, which is still firm to the bite and not mushy.
- Keep some pasta water to thin certain sauces. It is perfect as it is already seasoned and starchy, which in turn will help to thicken some sauces too.
What Can I Serve This Pasta With?
This is almost a complete meal in a bowl, but if you are having company or a special Sunday meal, then add some of these delicious sides too.
Sausage Pepper Pasta Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Italian sausage mild or hot, or a mixture of both
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
- 3 red peppers seeded and cut into medium julienne
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 – 28 oz cans Italian plum tomatoes including juice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- Pinch of dried chili flakes optional
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped plus more for garnish
- 6 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- Parmesan cheese for topping
- 2 lb. penne
Instructions
- Prick the sausage links all over with a fork and place in a large Dutch oven with 1/2 inch of water.
- Simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for about 20 minutes or until the water is evaporated. Continue to cook the sausage, frying them in their own fat, turning them occasionally.
- Allow them to cook for about 10 minutes or until well browned. Remove the sausages from the pan to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Pour the fat out of the pan, but don’t wash it out. Add the olive oil and onions to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, covered, until tender, 15 – 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the water, wine, 2 cans of tomatoes with the juices, oregano, thyme, Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and chili flakes, if using. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes, adding more water if needed.
- Slice the sausage into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
- After the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes, add the julienne red peppers, sausage slices, and fennel seeds to the pan. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- After simmering for 20 minutes, add the chopped parsley and minced garlic and continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- Cook the penne pasta according to the package. Serve the sauce over penne pasta with grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley.
- Enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Melanie says
Loved this recipe, it was so delicious! The whole family loved it, definitely adding it to our dinner rotation!
Tara Noland says
So glad you enjoyed it!