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Sausage and Peppers Pasta
This Sausage and Peppers Pasta is a classic Italian combination that is always a hit. It's easy to make and perfect for entertaining.
Prep
20 min
Cook
10 min
Total
30 min
Serves
8
Instructions
- 01
Start by prepping all the veggies and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Dice the onions, quarter and slice the zucchini, dice the red bell peppers, and cut the tomatoes in half or in quarters if larger.
- 02
In a large skillet, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it up into small bites, over medium-high heat until cooked through and beginning to brown.Add the red onions to the pan and cook for one to two minutes until beginning to soften, then add the red bell pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the red bell pepper is softening, then add the zucchini and cook for one to two minutes before adding the optional heavy cream.
- 03
While the zucchini is cooking, boil the pasta in heavily salted water until al dente.
- 04
When the pasta is done and the zucchini is tender, reserve 2 cups of cooking water if you're not using the cream. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan, and toss to combine.
- 05
Add reserved pasta water as necessary to make the pasta saucy if you don't use the heavy cream. Add the fresh tomatoes and season to taste with sea salt before serving with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan.
Nutrition
per serving · 1 serving
- Calories
- 722
- Protein
- 22g
- Carbs
- 52g
- Fat
- 47g
- Fiber
- 3g
- Sugar
- 7g
- Sat. fat
- 23g
- Sodium
- 953mg
- Cholesterol
- 121mg
Variations & swaps
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pasta – both regular and gluten-free pasta work for this recipe. For gluten-free pasta, look for 100% brown rice pasta. Penne, rigatoni, and fusilli are my favorite shapes for this pasta dish.
- Italian sausage – both mild and spicy Italian sausage work in this recipe, choose what sounds best to you. Check the labels to ensure it’s gluten-free and/or dairy-free, if needed. Mulay’s makes a great allergy-friendly sausage.
- Onion & garlic – make up the base flavor in this dish and really complement the bell peppers.
- Veggies – I use sweet bell peppers, zucchini, or spinach. The zucchini and spinach are both mild, so they don’t interfere with the sausage/peppers flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated, has the best texture and flavor. It can also be omitted to make it dairy-free.
- Heavy cream – is optional and one of my favorite variations. It makes for a rich, very flavorful dish, but I often leave it out in the warmer months to keep this pasta fresh and light, using the reserved cooking water instead.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Dairy-free – I often make this pasta completely dairy-free by omitting the heavy cream. Just be sure to scoop out 2 cups of the pasta cooking water to toss with the pasta as you toss it together, and skip the Parmesan cheese.
- Paleo – For a Paleo version, try my Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers; it’s one of my all-time favorite easy meals. Pair it together with my Creamy Mashed Cauliflower.
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