Unleash Flavorful Bliss with Pepper Pasta and Italian Sausage

Sharing is caring!

Add some spice to your pasta night with this Pepper Pasta sauce and Italian Sausage recipe. Quick, easy, and delicious! What more could you want?

I was dying to make a sausage dish.  Especially after walking around the ballpark on Friday and smelling all the sausages cooking away at various vendors.  How can you not be inspired by all the different types of sausages, flavors, and toppings?  I originally made this pasta recipe with turkey sweet Italian sausage.  However, I just can’t find them as often at the grocery store.  For the final recipe I had to use regular sweet Italian sausage.

This recipe has both sauteed peppers and onions.  These are typically found as a topping for both Italian sausage and bratwurst.  The roasted red peppers elevate your homemade spaghetti sauce recipe or jarred sauce..  The sauteed peppers and onions add additional texture and flavor to this easy pasta sauce.  It’s so easy that I can whip it up on weeknights often. Serve it with a salad to round out the meal.

What Are Bell Peppers?

Bell peppers, also known as sweet peppers, are versatile fruits that belong to the nightshade family. They come in a variety of colors, including brown, purple, and white.  Each color offers a unique flavor profile. Green bell peppers are slightly bitter compared to their riper counterparts like red and yellow peppers.  They become sweeter the longer they ripen from green to red.  They compliment sweet corn in this confetti corn with peppers and herbs.  The other colors are more earthy in flavor and taste slightly different than your traditional colors.

Can You Make a Sauce with Fresh Bell Peppers?

Obviously, because I did! Fresh bell peppers can be transformed into a vibrant, flavorful sauce. The sauce pairs well with a variety of dishes, including pasta. Their natural sweetness and bright colors add a refreshing touch to any sauce recipe including this corn and sweet red pepper soup.  Roasted red bell peppers are often used to make a romesco sauce.  They’re also used in the spicy Eastern European Ajvar sauce. 

Red and yellow bell peppers are often preferred for pasta sauces due to their sweetness and rich flavor. They also lend a beautiful color to the sauce which enhances the appeal of this sauce.  We eat with our eyes right, right? 

Tips for Cutting Bell Peppers to Make a Sauce

They’re awkward to cut, right?  There’s a few ways you can master breaking down a bell pepper.  First make sure to wash the peppers thoroughly under running water.  From here, there’s two schools of thought about prepping a bell pepper.  First way is to cut off the top (stem end) and bottom (flower end) of the pepper.  Then you can cut the pepper down the middle to open it up and remove the seeds and membranes.  I usually remove the seeds by hand but then lay the pepper flat on the cutting board to horizontally slice the membrane off, but you can remove it by hand, too.  From here, you can vertically slice and dice the pepper as needed.

The second way is to cut to the right (or left if you’re left handed) of the pepper similar to how you would cut around the core of an apple.  This method automatically removes the seeds and membrane as they stay attached to the stem end.  From here you can slice and dice as needed for your recipe.

What is Italian Sausage and How is It Different from Bratwurst and Boudin?

Italian sausage is a type of pork sausage seasoned with fennel seed, garlic, and various herbs and spices. It comes in two main varieties: sweet (mild) and hot. The hot version has crushed red pepper flakes in it to make it spicier.  The main staple in most recipes is fennel seed which has a slight licorice or anise flavor to it.  The mild or sweet usually has basil and rosemary in there.

Bratwurst is a German sausage typically made from pork and veal.  It’s flavored with nutmeg, ginger, and caraway. Another fresh sausage is boudin.  It is typically made from pork meat and liver, combined with rice, oregano, parsley, and spices like paprika and cayenne stuffed into a casing.

Adding Italian sausage to this pepper pasta sauce recipe.

Italian sausage is an excellent addition to any pasta sauce. Its robust flavor complements the acidity of the tomatoes, creating a rich and hearty sauce. The sausage also adds protein, making the dish more satisfying.  But should the sauce before adding it to the sauce?  I did for this recipe, however it’s not a requirement based on how long you simmer your sauce. 

Cooking the sausage beforehand ensures it is fully cooked and allows you to render out some of the fat.  It also caramelizes the sausage which adds another layer of flavor to the sauce.  You can either cook them whole and then slice them into the sauce or you can do what I do.  I cut my sausage into pieces with my kitchen shears.  It saves me from using a cutting board and makes it easy to slice them straight into the pan.  For those curious about the casing, I leave it on, but you can take it off if you want.  It allows the sausage to break down into smaller pieces as your sauce simmers.

Ingredients to Make This Pepper Pasta with Italian Sausage

Pantry ingredients – onion, marinara or other pasta sauce, pasta (long or short your choice), roasted red peppers, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper (optional)

Refrigerator ingredients – bell peppers, Italian sausage

Instructions to Make This Pasta Recipe

Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente making sure to salt the water. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of pasta water and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the peppers and onions until soft.  Remove from the pan and keep warm while you brown the sausage.  Slice the Italian sausage (or cut it with your shears) and add it to the pan.  Cook 5 to 7 minutes or until browned on all sides.  Return the peppers and onions to the pan and sauté until they’re heated through.

Drain the roasted red peppers and puree in a blend or food processor and add it to the pan along with the pasta sauce, herbs, and spices.  Bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer 10 to 15 minutes or until the sausage cooks through and the sauce thickens slightly.  Stir in a little of the pasta water before adding in the pasta.  Turn the off and let the pasta sit for 5 minutes to soak up the flavors of the sauce before serving.  Garnish with chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese before serving.

How to serve up this pepper pasta with Italian sausage recipe?

There are lots of ways to customize and serve this recipe.  I usually sprinkle some parsley but you can easily change that up with some basil for added color and flavor.  Or even some fresh oregano if you have it.  Of course, there’s cheese.  We usually have Parmesan on hand, but some romano or asiago would make for a delicious topping for this pasta recipe.

What about some nuts?  Toasted pine nuts or walnuts can add a lovely crunch and nutty flavor.  Both are used in different pesto recipes as well as other roasted red pepper sauces.  Try some toasted bread crumbs on top of your pasta.  It definitely adds some easy crunch and makes for an interesting topping for your pasta dish.  How about some olives?  Green would add a nice briney flavor while calamata would add a more earthy flavor to this pasta sauce.

Sprinkle it with some crushed red pepper flakes for added heat and flavor.  Or even sprinkle with a little Italian seasoning.   Try some crispy prosciutto or pancetta or even some crispy fried capers.  Either way you top it, it’s going to be a delicious recipe that’s easy to whip up on the busiest of nights.

Easy European Recipes

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!