Quick Crumbled Sausage and Peppers Pasta
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A bowl of this quick sausage and peppers pasta is satisfying, flavorful, and supremely easy to make. Crumbled Italian sausage, sweet peppers, tender onions, tomatoes, and garlic all mingle together and wrap up al dente pasta to create the perfect cozy weeknight dinner! It’s a classic combo made restaurant-worthy in about 25 minutes.
Sausage and peppers is a totally classic combination made of everyday ingredients. It has all the most perfect Italian vibes to round out a weeknight pasta dinner. It may be a little indulgent, but is absolutely worth it to satisfy that craving for toothsome pasta, I say!
This easy skillet uses crumbled Italian sausage and finely chopped peppers and onions to add oomph to a quick homemade tomato sauce. The end result so deliciously nestles around any small pasta shape, you’ll feel you belong in a cozy neighborhood Italian restaurant. Just add bottomless garlic knots!
Why You’ll Love Sausage Peppers Pasta
- Big Italian flavors from simple, everyday ingredients
- Ready start to finish in about 25 minutes
- Family-friendly: even picky kids might down a little bell pepper in this one!
- Easy enough for a busy weeknight, delicious enough for entertaining
Restaurant-Worthy in a Hurry
Like so many of my favorite skillet meals, this recipe works because it builds layers of flavor right in one pan, starting with the Italian sausage. Garlic, tomato, and Parmesan just pile on and keep the delicious aromas and seasonings coming.
By the time you add in the pasta, you have a pan positively bursting with flavor.
Switch to Sheet Pan
If you’re craving some of these flavors in an almost totally hands-off way, sheet pan chicken sausage and peppers is another favorite of mine. That recipe is great because it requires almost no minding, and you can serve it flexibly over pasta, rice, greens or more veggies, as needed.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use sausage with a different base or flavor profile—spicy, sweet, mild, or turkey-based sausage, etc.
- Use sliced pre-cooked sausage for a different texture, similar to my sausage and peppers with tortellini.
- Add red pepper flakes for a little extra kick.
- Mix in extra veggies. Diced zucchini or squash can go in along with the peppers, baby spinach can wilt in at the end, etc.
More Quick Weeknight Pastas
Quick Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pasta any short type
- extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage see note
- 1 large bell pepper any color, seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (15 ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes see note
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan plus more for serving
- red pepper flakes, fresh basil, fresh parsley optional garnishes
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a generous pinch of salt, followed by the pasta. Cook just to al dente, according to package directions. Reserve a small amount of pasta water, then drain off the rest and set aside.10 ounces pasta
- Meanwhile, warm a small drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add sausage and start breaking it up into small pieces.extra-virgin olive oil, 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- After 1-2 minutes, when the sausage starts to brown, add the diced pepper, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, until the sausage is browned and the veggies are tender.1 large bell pepper, 1/2 medium yellow onion, kosher salt and black pepper
- Stir in the tomato paste and garlic. Sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant.1/4 cup tomato paste, 3-4 cloves garlic
- Pour in the crushed or diced tomatoes and the Parmesan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits.1 (15 ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes, 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- Let the liquid come to a gentle bubble. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened slightly, then sample and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce and stir well to combine. If the sauce thickened too much, stir in a splash of the reserved pasta water to stretch it back out.
- Serve right away with a sprinkle of fresh herbs, more Parmesan, red pepper, etc. Enjoy!red pepper flakes, fresh basil, fresh parsley
Notes
- Sausage: We prefer this with mild or sweet Italian sausage, but any type will work: sweet, mild, spicy, etc. For best results, buy sausage not in its casing, that you can just remove from its packaging, put straight into the skillet, and start to crumble, like ground meat. If you can’t find that, buy un-cooked Italian sausages, cut open the casings (it should be just a thin layer that slices and peels back easily), and shake or scrape the inside out into the pan.
- Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes will yield a smoother sauce, but we also like the effect of using diced tomatoes for a little more texture. If using diced tomatoes, be sure not to strain them—you should include all juices from the can in the sauce.
- Seasoning: This recipe is written with a relatively small amount of salt, pepper, and other seasonings, because depending on the quality and flavor of your sausage, you may not need a lot extra. You could even find a lot of extra seasonings overpowering! As always, let taste be your guide—if you finish the dish, sample, and find it lacking in flavor, add a pinch of salt and/or pepper, or basil, etc., until it tastes good to you.
- Storage: Sausage pepper pasta keeps well in the fridge for at least 3-4 days. Warm in small saucepan or in the microwave (full power is fine) as needed. Fresh Parm and herbs help make each portion good as new!
