This sausage and pepper pasta is filled with Italian sausage and colorful bell peppers, all served over pasta in a tomato sauce. The perfect hearty meal to feed a crowd!
Sausage and peppers is a classic flavor combination. When you add pasta to the mix, you have an easy dinner that’s great for entertaining or for a busy weeknight. For more great pasta dishes check out my pasta puttanesca, baked rigatoni pasta and shrimp alfredo!
When want an easy dinner that tastes amazing, I often turn to my favorite pastas. My family loves this easy, yet festive sausage and pepper pasta featuring savory Italian sausage and plenty of sauteed peppers.
You could enjoy this pasta with fresh salads like antipasto salad, panzanella salad or Italian salad.
Table of Contents
Sausage And Pepper Pasta Ingredients
To make this sausage and pepper pasta you will need a pack of raw Italian sausages, olive oil, rigatoni pasta, butter, bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, grated parmesan cheese and parsley. See the recipe card below for amounts and details.
How Do You Make Sausage And Pepper Pasta?
To make this sausage and pepper pasta recipe, first you’ll need to cook some sausage. Place your raw Italian sausages into a large pan with a little olive oil and cook them through according to package instructions. While you cook your sausages, bring a pot of salted water to boil. When the sausages finish cooking remove them from the pan and slice them. Place your pasta in the boiling water and cook your pasta according to package instructions. Melt butter in your pan and cook your bell peppers with salt and pepper until tender and slightly browned. Remove the peppers from the pan.
Next make the sauce by melting butter in the pan and cooking the diced onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce and Italian seasoning to the onion and simmer. Drain your pasta and add it to the sauce. Toss the pasta in the sauce. Add the sliced sausages and peppers. You can arrange them on top or toss them with the pasta. The finishing touch on this pasta is a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
Tips For The Perfect Sausage Pasta
- For your sausages choose raw Italian sausage links. You can find these sausages refrigerated in the meat department of most grocery stores. Look for packages that contain 5 sausages and have between 16 and 19 ounces of meat.
- I use mild Italian sausages or sweet Italian sausages for this sausage and pepper pasta recipe.
- I like a combination of red, yellow and green bell peppers because it’s visually appealing, but feel free to use whichever colors of peppers that you have on hand.
- You can purchase Italian seasoning or make your own Italian seasoning by combining simple ingredients like dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, etc.
Quick Tip
Any short pasta will work for this recipe, such as penne, rigatoni or rotini.
Recipe FAQs
Sausage and pepper pasta stays fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three days.
Choose a pasta that is a similar size to the sausage slices and cut peppers like rigatoni, fusilli, rotini, penne or ziti.
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Flavor Variations
While this sausage and pepper pasta recipe makes for a delicious and hearty pasta, you can change up the ingredients to suit your own taste.
- Cheese: You could grate some mozzarella cheese over the top when the dish is just about done.
- Spicy: You can bring the heat by using spicy Italian sausages or by sprinkling some red pepper flakes in the pasta!
- Veggies: Feel free to sauté and add vegetables like zucchini slices, green beans or broccoli florets.
- Meat: Traditionally Italian sausages are made with pork; however, you can use chicken or turkey sausages.
- Cooked Sausage: You can use pre-cooked sausages for this recipe. Simply heat them through in a skillet and slice them.
- Texture: For a different texture you could remove the sausage meat from the casings and break it up into crumbles as you cook it.
Once you try this easy and flavorful pasta, you’ll put it in your regular dinner rotation! Just set this dish on a table and enjoy the compliments that you receive!
More Great Pasta Recipes
Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
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Caprese Pasta
15 mins
Baked Spaghetti
1 hr 35 mins
Homemade Hamburger Helper
35 mins
Love This Recipe?
Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 package Italian sausage links sweet or mild
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 2 tablespoons butter divided use
- 2 cups sliced bell peppers any color you like
- 1/2 cup onion diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 16 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespons chopped parsley.
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large pan, place the sausages in the pan and cook them according to package directions.
- Cut the sausages into slices.
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Melt one tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the peppers and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for 5-6 minuted or until peppers have softened and are lightly browned. Remove the peppers from the pan.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and onion to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until onions are softened.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning to the pan and bring to a simmer.
- Drain the pasta and toss with the tomato sauce.
- Arrange the sliced sausage and peppers over the pasta. Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley, then serve.
Notes
- I use mild Italian sausages or sweet Italian sausages for this recipe.
- I like a combination of red, yellow and green bell peppers because it’s visually appealing, but feel free to use whichever colors of peppers that you have on hand.
- Any short pasta will work for this recipe, such as penne, rigatoni or rotini.
OMG! Made this last night and it was so good, Always have to omit onions in my meals because my husband can not stand the smell since covid. But we did not miss them. This will so stay in my meal plan rotation.
Can I substitute Alfredo sauce for tomato sauce
That should be fine!
This pasta dish was delicious! Great way to use up the fresh peppers in my garden!