Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Name: Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 lb Italian sausage, regular or spicy (cut in 2-inch slices); 2 bell peppers (Red/Green, sliced); 1 small onion (sliced); 3-4 garlic cloves (minced); 24 oz marinara sauce; 16 oz pasta (or pasta alternative); Parmesan Cheese (garnish)

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This quick sausage and pepper pasta has just a few simple ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for a busy weeknight!

a plate of sausage and pepper pasta with red sauce and shredded cheese on top

I love a good sausage and pepper pasta. It's hearty, easy to make, and goes perfectly served with a side salad and garlic bread. This recipe has just a few ingredients and comes together pretty quickly.

We like to use hot Italian sausage with our pasta because it adds a punch of flavor and heat to the dish that my family likes, but you can use sweet Italian or even breakfast sausage if that's what you like. You can also serve this dish over regular pasta or pasta alternatives like zoodles or edamame noodles.

Did I forget to mention this is a budget-friendly meal? Where I live, this whole meal that feeds 4-6 costs $15! Affordable, quick, and yummy…that’s the makings of a perfect dinner!

Table of Contents

What You’ll Need

Olive Oil
Italian Sausage (or alternative)
Bell Peppers
Onion
Garlic
Marinara Sauce
Pasta (or Alternative)
Parmesan Cheese

ingredients for the sausage and pepper pasta

Tools You’ll Need

How to Make Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Start heating salted water in a large pot while you make the sauce.
For the sauce, heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink and cooked through. You can either crumble and cook the sausage or cook it in slices. Once it’s done, remove it from the skillet and set aside.

cooking sausage in oil in a high walled pan

To the skillet, add the peppers and onion. Sauté 3-4 minutes, or until slightly tender and the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté an additional minute.

Lower the heat to medium-low. Allow the pan to cool down slightly so that the sauce doesn’t splatter. Pour in and stir the sauce. While the sauce simmers for 5-10 minutes, prepare your pasta of choice and drain.
Plate the pasta and top with a generous ladle of sauce and parmesan cheese.

prepared sauce and prepared noodles, each in a bowl

Tips and Substitutions

What to serve with this delicious pasta:
- Loaded Restaurant Salad or Side Salad
- Crispy Green Beans
- Garlic Broccoli and Mushrooms
- Garlic Bread
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last 4-5 days.
You can freeze the sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Do I have to use pork Italian sausage?

You can easily swap out the Italian sausage for turkey Italian sausage, ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, plant-based sausage, or a different variety of sausage.

How can I add more flavor?

Marinara comes in many flavor variations. You can use homemade if you’d like or you can jazz up a store-bought version. Yummy additions could be (but are not limited to) Italian Seasoning, white wine, sliced sun-dried tomatoes, canned crushed or diced tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, or cajun seasoning. Try adding tomato paste for extra richness. Mushrooms add an umami kick.

How can I reduce the acidity of my sauce?

Try adding a pinch of baking soda to raise the ph level. You can also add a pinch of sugar to sweeten the flavor, although sugar will not actually reduce the acidity level.

More Recipes Like This

This is a picture of a plate of pasta with red sauce on top. The sauce has green and red bell peppers in it and there is shredded cheese on top.

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