One-Pot Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and fresh Mozzarella cheese - in a white bowl.

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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword pasta with sausage and peppers

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 1067kcal

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