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A wide bowl of Sausage and Pepper Pasta on forst green background, surrounded by fresh red tomatoe son the vine, green fresh basil, a piece of Parmesan, and a glass of dark red wine.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Sausage and Pepper Pasta

I'll let you in on a secret: this Sausage and Pepper Pasta tastes like it's been simmering all day but only takes 30 minutes, start to finish! This recipe is a riff on the 'Rigatoni Con Salsiccia' at our favorite local Italian Restaurant, Bella Siena. Made with flavorful Italian pork sausage, sweet bell peppers, red onion, simmered in a marinara-cream sauce. Chef's kiss!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Pastas
Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz short pasta like rigatoni, penne, farfalle
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¾ lb Italian sausage sweet, mild, or hot; casings removed
  • 1 red onion small-medium sized; chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves sliced
  • 2 bell peppers I reach for green and red; chopped
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1½ cup marinara sauce I used Rao's; about ½ jar
  • ⅔ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup fresh basil small leave left whole, large leaves roughly chopped; may sub. 1 tsp of dried basil
  • ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano divided
  • kosher salt for pasta water and seasoning
  • freshly ground pepper

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 chefs knife
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 box grater
  • measuring cups
  • measuring spoons
  • 1 strainer

Method
 

  1. Brown sausage & soften aromatics: Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sausage, bell peppers, and onion. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces as it renders (not too small). Cook until the sausage is nicely browned & the veggies are softened, about 5-7 minutes. 
    Halfway through this step add: sliced garlic, oregano, basil (if using dried), about 1 tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp black pepper; stir until combined and garlic is aromatic, about 30 seconds-1 minute. If anything starts to brown too quickly, reduce heat as needed.
  2. Boil pasta while the sausage and veggies are cooking: Bring a large pot of water to a roaring boil. Add a generous heaping 2 tbsp of salt to the pot and stir so the salt doesn't sink to the bottom. Add the pasta, cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is 2 minutes under al dente (al dente" cook times should be listed on the package). Reserve ½ cup starchy pasta water, drain the pasta but do not rinse! Set aside if needed.
  3. Build the sauce: Turn the heat down to medium. Add the tomato paste to the pan, stirring to coat the sausage & veggies; cook for about 2 minutes, until deeply red. Add the marinara sauce, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Add the heavy cream; stir until incorporated. Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken a bit and build flavor. Taste & adjust seasoning as desired.
  4. Finish the pasta by cooking in the sauce: Transfer the cooked pasta, half the Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh basil (if using) to the skillet; stir until noodles are well-coated in the sauce. If the mixture is too thick, toss in a little reserved pasta water; if the mixture is too loose, turn up the heat or toss in an extra handful of Parmigiano Reggiano. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and absorb some of the tomato-cream sauce. Remove from the heat.
  5. Serve: topped with additional Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil (if using). Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Notes

What kind of sausage should I use?
I strongly recommend going for a full-fat pork sausage for this recipe, as its natural richness helps create an especially flavorful sauce in a relatively short amount of time. I tend to use a sweet or mild sausage for this recipe but a spicy sausage will work nicely too if you love some heat. If you prefer to use a leaner ground turkey or chicken sausage, plan to use an extra couple tablespoons of olive oil to help compensate for the richness of pork sausage.