Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe
with Bell Peppers

The flavor of the Italian sausage and peppers with a little added pasta water and Parmesan cheese is enough to make this a delicious recipe without a heavy sauce.

I like to use the hot variety of sausage, but I’ve also used the mild variety since the hot can be a bit much for my 3 year old when he eats it. I add some dry white wine to this recipe for an added depth of flavor, however, you can omit it if you want.

I also use different color bell peppers, but whatever color bell peppers you have on hand will work just fine.

Pasta with Italian sausage and bell pepper

Ingredients

1 – 2 tbs oil olive
1 lb short pasta, any variety
4-5 links of Italian sausage, casings remove. Or if you can find it a package of Italian sausage without the casings.
½ red bell pepper, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 tbs minced garlic
Grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Fill a large pot with water ¾ of the way and bring to a boil over high heat. Place a lid on the pot so that the water boils quicker.
• Once water comes to a boil, added salt then add pasta and stir
• Cook pasta according to time suggested by the manufacturer
• While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a sauce pan
• Once oil is heated, added onions and peppers, sauté until soft 3 – 4 minutes
• Add garlic to the pan and cook for another minute or two, making sure not to burn the garlic
• Add sausage to the onion and pepper mixture and continue cooking, breaking pieces up with a wooden spoon
• Once sausage is cooked and is no longer pink, remove the mixture from the heat
• Drain pasta, reserving 1/3 cup of the pasta liquid
• Add drained pasta to the sautéed mixture
• Add the Parmesan cheese and mix
• Add some of the reserved pasta liquid to make a “sauce”
• Add some more Parmesan cheese on the top if desired

Serve immediately.

Life is too short, and I'm Italian. I'd much rather eat pasta and drink wine than be a size 0. - Sophia Bush