This Easy Sausage & Peppers Pasta is loaded with penne pasta, Italian sausage, colorful bell peppers, and parmesan cheese. It is tossed with store-bought marinara sauce to keep the recipe quick and simple, but still full of flavor.
Penne pasta with sausage and peppers is my go-to recipe when I want to deviate from my favorite slow cooked Creamy Bolognese or Sausage Gnocchi.
Love seafood? Learn How To Make Lobster Ravioli Sauce or make my simple Creamy Cajun Shrimp Pasta with sausage.
If you are looking for something a little lighter, try my simple Kale Crunch Salad Recipe or Panera Greek Salad Copycat Recipe with lots of feta cheese.
If you have a little extra time on your hands, try my Lasagna Recipe with Bechamel.
Interested in more pasta recipes? I have a post with 20 Valentine’s Day Pasta Recipes that can be made year-round!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Italian sausage peppers pasta with marinara is the simplest 30 minute weeknight dinner.
- You can use your favorite store-bought pasta sauce. This recipe is super versatile. Sauce flavors this dish more than just plain diced tomatoes.
- Chicken sausage & peppers pasta is loaded with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.
- This pasta is kid friendly and full of vegetables.
- This dish can be made dairy-free and gluten-free.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sausage: I usually use mild or spicy chicken Italian sausage, but pork sausage works great as well. You can also use sweet Italian sausage. Since the sausage is pre-cooked, it is easy to slice before browning. If you are using raw sausage links, cook them most of the way through before slicing and browning. You can also use raw ground sausage. Fully cook it during Step 1.
- Bell Pepper: Use any color of bell peppers. I liked to use a combination of red, orange, and yellow bell pepper.
- Marinara Sauce: Use any pasta sauce. I use a combination of marinara and italian herb to add more flavor. Vodka sauce, arrabiata, mushroom, or garlic flavored sauces will work great as well. You can also use seasoned crushed tomatoes.
- Penne Pasta: Use any short cut pasta. You can also use gluten free pasta.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Sausage & Peppers Pasta
Quick Overview
- Sauté the sausage, peppers, and onions.
- Add sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Boil pasta.
- Fold in sauce, parmesan, and basil.
Step by Step Instructions
Allow brown bits to form before adding the peppers and onions.
Do not overcook the peppers and onions.
Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1.5 – 2 Tablespoons of salt). While the water heats, make the sauce. In a large skillet or pot over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and brown for 5-7 minutes.
Step 2: Turn the heat to medium. Add the peppers and onions to the pan. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until they have begun to soften.
Step 3: Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and chili flakes. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
Step 4: Pour in jars of sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, while the pasta boils.
Be sure to add 1.5 – 2 Tablespoons to the pot of boiling water.
Step 5: Boil the pasta in a large pot according to the instructions on the package.
Step 6: Drain the pasta or pour it back into the pot or directly into the sauce (use the larger pot).
Step 7: Add all of the sauce to the pasta and fold it together.
Step 8: Fold in the parmesan and basil. Serve with more basil and parmesan on top.
Recipe Serving Suggestion
love to serve this sausage pasta with my better than frozen Texas Toast Garlic Bread, restaurant style Parmesan Rosemary Bread, or the easiest Air Fryer Garlic Bread.
Expert Tips & Variations
- Use a very large pot. With a full pound of pasta, tons of veggies, and sausage, this recipe yields a large quantity of pasta. Be sure to use a pot that can hold all of this for tossing.
- Add salt to the pasta water. I use about 1.5 – 2 Tablespoons of salt per pound of pasta I am cooking. This is crucial for flavor when boiling pasta.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Boil the pasta for the shortest time instructed on the back of the package (the cook time is usually a range). For this type of penne, I usually boil it for 9-10 minutes.
- Brown the sausage in oil. The brown bits in the pan and on the sausage will add tons of flavor to the sauce.
- Do not overcook the peppers and onions. After you sauté them, they will continue to cook in the sauce as it simmers. They should still have a bit of a bite and not be mushy.
- Serve with toppings. Add extra parmesan cheese, basil, or red pepper chili flakes on top.
- Use any veggies. You can swap some of the peppers for broccoli, kale, spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini. Use whatever you have on hand.
- Add a splash of wine or cream. After Step 3, deglaze the pan with a 1/4-1/3 cup of white or red wine. This will add even more flavor to the sauce. You can also add some cream during Step 8 for a creamy sausage and peppers pasta.
Recipe FAQs
There are many ways to serve sausage and peppers. I prefer to serve them with pasta and tomato sauce.
More Pasta Recipes
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Easy Sausage & Peppers Pasta
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds pre-cooked pork or chicken mild Italian sausage links about 8, sliced*
- 3 bells peppers julienned in 1 inch pieces*
- 1 large yellow onion julienned in 1 inch pieces
- 8 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 24 ounce jars marinara sauce*
- 1 pound penne pasta*
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1.5 – 2 Tablespoons of salt). While the water heats, make the sauce. In a large skillet or pot over medium high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and brown for 5-7 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium. Add the peppers and onions to the pan. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until they have begun to soften.
- Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and chili flakes. Sauté for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Pour in jars of sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, while the pasta boils.
- Boil the pasta in a large pot according to the instructions on the package.
- Drain the pasta or pour it back into the pot or directly into the sauce (use the larger pot).
- Add all of the sauce to the pasta and fold it together.
- Fold in the parmesan and basil. Serve with more basil and parmesan on top.
Notes
- Sausage: I usually use mild or spicy chicken Italian sausage, but pork sausage works great as well. You can also use sweet Italian sausage. Since the sausage is pre-cooked, it is easy to slice before browning. If you are using raw sausage links, cook them most of the way through before slicing and browning. You can also use raw ground sausage. Fully cook it during Step 1.
- Bell Pepper: Use any color of bell peppers. I liked to use a combination of red, orange, and yellow bell pepper.
- Marinara Sauce: Use any pasta sauce. I use a combination of marinara and italian herb to add more flavor. Vodka sauce, arrabiata, mushroom, or garlic flavored sauces will work great as well. You can also use seasoned crushed tomatoes.
- Penne Pasta: Use any short cut pasta. You can also use gluten free pasta.
- Add salt to the pasta water. I use about 1.5 – 2 Tablespoons of salt per pound of pasta I am cooking. This is crucial for flavor when boiling pasta.
- Cook the pasta al dente. Boil the pasta for the shortest time instructed on the back of the package (the cook time is usually a range). For this type of penne, I usually boil it for 9-10 minutes.
- Do not overcook the peppers and onions. After you sauté them, they will continue to cook in the sauce as it simmers. They should still have a bit of a bite and not be mushy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
