Pasta with Sausage and Peppers (One-Pot, 30-Minute Meal)

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes in one pot! It's restaurant-quality comfort food made with basic, easily accessible ingredients such as Italian sausage, tri-colored bell peppers, garlic, and melty fresh Mozzarella cheese.

30-Minute one-pot meal

Pasta with sausage and peppers is the definition of simplicity and a great option for a busy family weeknight dinner when you crave something comforting yet effortless. Everything is cooked in one pan, and the whole recipe takes just 30 minutes from start to finish! The cleanup is minimal! The recipe uses only 7 ingredients: bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian sausage, fusilli pasta, fresh Mozzarella cheese, chicken stock, and olive oil! This easy Italian sausage pasta is sure to become a family favorite! For more 30-minute meal inspiration, check out these 2 family favorite dinners: sausage spaghetti and the very popular sausage rigatoni.

Why this recipe works

• Packed with flavor and fresh ingredients. I used 3 large bell peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, flavorful Italian sausage (hot or mild), and fresh Mozzarella cheese to bring the best Italian flavors straight to your dinner table! It's a restaurant-worthy dish made at home with wholesome ingredients!
• Cleanup is a breeze. Everything is cooked in one pan on the stovetop, so the cleanup is minimal.
• Perfect for meal prep. There is no cream, and that means this delicious restaurant-quality meal is great for making ahead and freezing. It thaws and reheats exceptionally well (unlike creamy dishes).

Main ingredients

• Sausage. I used Italian sausage in casings. I removed the casings and crumbled the sausage. Use hot or mild sausage, or 50/50.
• Pasta. Use any kind of short-cut pasta: fusilli, farfalle, penne, rigatoni, orecchiette, etc.
• Bell peppers. For the presentation, I used three bell peppers of different colors: green, red, and orange.
• Sun-dried tomatoes. I like to use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes because they are so juicy. I drain them very well from any oil. In this recipe, however, you can use dry-packed or oil-packed - it doesn't matter because the sun-dried tomatoes are cooked together with the pasta in chicken broth and they get soft regardless.
• Chicken stock is used to cook pasta. You can use water, too.
• Fresh mozzarella cheese. I used small Mozzarella cheese balls ("pearls").
• Olive oil is for sauteeing bell peppers.
• Salt and pepper are for seasoning the vegetables.

What type of sausage is best here?

• Hot or mild Italian sausage. I used 19 oz of mild Italian sausage. I added some pepper flakes to spice things up. Hot Italian sausage will add even more flavor! Or better yet, use 50 % hot and 50 %mild to keep things more balanced and not overly spicy.
• Remove the casings. I removed the casings and crumbled the sausage. You don't have to remove the casings and can slice the sausage links with casings on, but I prefer the texture of the sausage without the casings, so I recommend this step!
• Chicken or turkey sausage is another great option.
• Beyond Sausage brand is a great option for a plant-based, vegetarian version.

Variations and substitutions

Sausage and peppers pasta is a flexible recipe that can be easily adjusted based on what you have available.

• Sausage. Use Italian mild or spicy sausage, smoked sausage, andouille sausage, or cajun sausage. You can also use 50% sausage and 50% ground pork or beef.
• Veggies. Add vegetables of your choice. I recommend mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, frozen peas, cherry tomatoes, and onions. You can also add spinach or kale.
• Pasta. Any kind of short pasta will work for this one-pan dinner. Rigatoni, penne, farfalle (bow-tie), fusilli (spiral pasta), orechiette, etc.

Delicious add-ins

• Add red wine. Add a splash of dry red wine (about ¼ cup) to the cooked sausage, reduce it briefly for a minute, then add chicken broth and pasta. It will add depth of flavor to the recipe.
• Add finely grated cheese, such as Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Asiago, over the pasta when serving.
• Add cream. Add a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half at the end to make it creamy.
• Toppings. Top the Italian sausage pasta with red pepper flakes, cracked black pepper, or fresh herbs (oregano, thyme or chopped basil).

Cooking tips and recommendations

• Use a large high-sided heavy-bottomed skillet.  At least 12 inches in diameter. It's the best kind of pan for one-pot meals prepared on the stovetop.  Thinner pans might cause the ingredients to stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Salt.  Use your best judgment, and don't add a lot of salt.  Usually, most sausages are quite salty, so don't add any salt or very little, as the whole dish might already be salty enough.
• Spice it up! Sausage and peppers pasta is the kind of recipe that benefits from a bit of heat. Use red pepper flakes to spice things up, especially if the sausage is mild.
• Make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free short pasta - all other ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
• Make it dairy-free by omitting Mozzarella cheese.

What to serve with it

Serve it with a slice of crusty bread (baguette, garlic bread, ciabatta, focaccia, olive, or sourdough bread) and fresh green salad:

• Berry Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing
• Greek Salad
• Apple Spinach Salad with Pecans, Cranberries, and Goat Cheese
• Arugula Salad with Lemon Zest, Parmesan, Pine Nuts, and Balsamic Dressing
• Strawberry Spinach Salad

Storage and reheating tips

• Fridge. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezer.  Freeze the Italian sausage pasta in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Because there is no cream, this recipe freezes beautifully! Perfect for meal prep!
• Reheat in the microwave oven. Reheat the refrigerated leftovers in a microwave oven for about 1 minute. Stir, taste, and reheat further in 30-second increments, if needed.
• Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat it in a large, high-sided skillet on the stovetop on low-medium heat. Add a splash of water, chicken stock, and a tablespoon of olive oil.

Other easy sausage pasta recipes

• Creamy Sausage Rigatoni
• Italian Sausage Bow-Tie Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach, and Mushrooms
• Kale and Sausage Pasta
• Sausage Mushroom Pasta

4.43 from 7 votes

One-Pot Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers is a quick and easy weeknight dinner made in just 30 minutes in one pot! It's restaurant-quality comfort food showcasing easily accessible ingredients: Italian sausage, tri-colored bell peppers, and melty fresh Mozzarella cheese.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 4

Calories per serving 1067 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large bell peppers (green, red, and orange, thinly sliced)
• 19 oz Italian sausage hot or mild, crumbled (or use ½ mild and ½ hot)
• 8 oz uncooked pasta fusilli, penne, or rigatoni
• 4 oz sundried tomatoes chopped, if packed in oil - drained
• 2.5 cups chicken stock or water
• 8 oz fresh Mozzarella cheese small balls - "pearls"
• salt and red pepper flakes to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

• Heat olive oil in a large 12-inch high-sided skillet. Add sliced bell peppers, sprinkle generously with salt, and cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes, occasionally stirring until softened. Transfer the peppers to a large plate.
• Add crumbled sausage to the same, now empty, skillet, and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, crumbling it.
• Add sun-dried tomatoes, uncooked pasta, and chicken stock.
• Mix everything well, and simmer (cook on the lowest boil setting), covered, for 10 - 12 minutes or longer until the pasta is al dente.
• Note: It's OK if the liquid does not entirely cover the pasta. Because you will cook the pasta covered on simmer, enough steam will be generated in the pan to cook it even if the pasta is not completely covered by liquid. In the end, the pasta should entirely absorb almost all the liquid. Do not overcook the pasta - it should be al dente, not mushy.
• Once the pasta is cooked, add back cooked peppers.
• Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese balls ("pearls") even over the pasta. Reheat gently, covered, until the cheese melts a little bit.
• Season with salt and red pepper flakes.

Notes

• I recommend using 50% hot Italian sausage and 50% mild. You can also use 50% hot Italian sausage and 50% ground pork or beef.
• To make it GLUTEN-FREE, use GF pasta. This recipe is excellent for fiber-rich, gluten-free pasta, such as made with chickpeas or lentils.
• To make it MEATLESS, use plant-based Italian sausages, such as Beyond Meat or Impossible sausage brands. Or, cook chopped portobello mushrooms generously seasoned with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, and Italian seasoning.
• Add red wine for depth of flavor. Add a splash of dry red wine (about ¼ cup) to the cooked sausage, reduce it briefly for a minute, then add chicken broth and pasta. 
• Add Cream. Add a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half if you like your pasta on the cream side.
• Toppings. When serving, top sausage and peppers pasta with grated Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs (chopped basil, oregano, or chives), red pepper flakes, or cracked black pepper.
• Great for meal prep! Because there is no cream, this recipe freezes beautifully! 

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

One-Pot Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

Amount per Serving

Calories

1067

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

66

g

102

%

Saturated Fat

 

24

g

150

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

8

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

29

g

Cholesterol

 

152

mg

51

%

Sodium

 

1593

mg

69

%

Potassium

 

1900

mg

54

%

Carbohydrates

 

73

g

24

%

Fiber

 

8

g

33

%

Sugar

 

20

g

22

%

Protein

 

48

g

96

%

Vitamin A

 

4487

IU

90

%

Vitamin C

 

172

mg

208

%

Calcium

 

367

mg

37

%

Iron

 

6

mg

33

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Keyword pasta with sausage and peppers

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