Pasta with Italian sausage and roasted red peppers is packed with flavor for the ultimate weeknight meal. Made with fresh basil, lemon zest, and a mouth-watering tomato sauce, this indulgent pasta recipe is one you’ll be craving again and again.
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Pasta with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Peppers
Cook time: 1 hour
Finish cooking your pasta in the sauce. If you aren’t finishing your pasta in the sauce, you are doing it wrong. And when it comes to cooking, I don’t like to say there are many rights and wrongs as long as you are indeed cooking! But seriously, finish your pasta in the sauce. Finishing the pasta in the sauce allows it to absorb the sauce, and it also lets you make sure the pasta get fully coated in the sauce. The wrong thing to do is to put your strained pasta in a bowl and put one ladle of sauce on top… Whenever I see a photo like this on instagram, I cringe.
After making a fuss about the sauce, I should probably talk about this one. After finishing off the last of my Fennel and Italians Sausage Stew, I was still craving more. So I decided to pick up some more Italian Sausage and whip up a simple dish with some trofie pasta that I had in my pantry. You really just brown the sausage, sauté an onion, add roasted red peppers, use good canned tomatoes — San Marzano preferred – and voilà, you have Pasta with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Peppers worth calling your mom about!
Trofie is a short pasta with some texture, and that is what I prefer with a sauce like this. Strozzapretti, penne, casarecce, or fusilli would all be great too. I’m sure there are a dozen or so others that would be great too. For finishing almost any pasta dish, I always opt for lemon zest, usually some lemon juice, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (you know, the kind you would eat on it’s own with a loaf a bread!). Fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese are also some go-tos. Do it how you like it, but I would not recommend skipping the lemon zest.
Oh and did I mentioned you need to finish cooking your pasta in the damn sauce?
Key Ingredients
Trofie Pasta: Short, textured pasta like trofie gives the sauce plenty of surface area to cling to for maximum flavor in every mouthful.
Italian Sausage: This adds a deeply rich and savory flavor that brings the whole dish together. For a vegetarian pasta dish, you can leave it out.
Canned Tomatoes: Make sure to use quality whole canned tomatoes like San Marzano, as these will serve as the best-tasting base for the sauce.
Roasted Red Peppers: These add a smoky and sweet flavor that tastes amazing in this dish. You can roast your own or just grab a jar from the store.
Lemon: Lemon juice and zest are both used to brighten up the dish and enhance the flavors of the sauce.
Fresh Basil: This is a no-brainer, there’s a reason you always see it paired with pasta! Fresh basil adds tons of incredible flavor that works perfectly in this dish.
Special Equipment
Your favorite dutch oven or saucepan
Recipe Tips and Variations
Here are some tips to help you make the best pasta with Italian sausage and roasted red peppers:
Set yourself up for success by slicing your onions and roasted red peppers before you start cooking. Trust me, you’ll thank me later!
For the best results, make sure to use fresh basil and lemon juice. Dried basil and store-bought lemon juice won’t do you any favors here. The fresher the ingredients, the better this dish will taste.
If you like your food on the spicier side, add some additional crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Want to skip the pork? Swap out the Italian sausage for a pork-free Italian sausage, ground beef, or even chopped chicken breast for a lighter meal.
For a cheesy finish, try grating some fresh parmesan or pecorino romano over the dish just before serving it.
If you are cooking for picky eaters, or if you are one yourself, you may want to puree/blend the sauce before adding the sausage. And if you are doing this, you can just roughly chop the onion and roasted red peppers.
Make the sauce ahead of time and then just heat up what you need while the pasta is cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the internet’s most burning questions about pasta with Italian sausage and roasted red peppers:
What is the best pasta to use?
For this kind of dish, I recommend using a short and textured pasta shape. These are the best for getting as much sauce as possible into every bite. My pasta of choice is trofie pasta. However, strozzapreti, penne, casarecce, or fusilli would all work great too.
What to serve with Italian sausage and roasted red pepper pasta?
While you can easily serve this roasted red pepper pasta on its own, there are several side dish options you can add for a larger meal. Some of my favorites include crusty toasted bread (great for scooping up that amazing sauce), roasted vegetables, and a fresh side salad.
Can you store this dish for later?
Of course. To store your pasta with Italian sausage and roasted red peppers for later, allow it to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Then, you can store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for 1 to 2 months. To thaw, transfer it to the fridge for 24 to 48 hours before reheating the dish.
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Ingredients
16 ounces Italian sausage
grapeseed oil
1 white or yellow onion, quartered and sliced sliced
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
16 ounce can of tomatoes, San Marzano recommended
2 roasted red peppers, sliced into 1” strips
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
fresh basil
1 lemon, zest and juice
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
short twisted pasta, such as trofie or strozzapretti
How to Make Pasta with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Peppers
Step 1
Heat up a pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add a little bit of grapeseed oil and then the Italian sausage. Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon and then let is brown on one side. Once you have broken up the sausage and it has some nice browning, remove the sausage to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Step 2
If you need a bit more oil in your cooking vessel, add some. If there is already enough, add the crushed red pepper and the fennel seeds. Stir and let cook for 30 seconds. After 30 more seconds, add the onions and reduce heat to medium. Add a pinch of kosher salt and stir well. Cook until the onions start to pick up some brown color. If you have the time, cook them until they caramelize.
Step 3
Add the tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Then fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl to get any tomato bits left in the can. Add the water to the pot. Add a pinch of salt and some freshly cracked black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway.
Step 4
After the 20 minutes have elapsed, remove the lid. Break up the tomatoes as best as you can with your spoon. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing gets stuck and burned. This is a good time to start boiling your pasta water (if you are making the sauce in advance, ignore this step).
Step 5
Add the sausage to the sauce as well as the sugar. Stir well and cook on low for 5 minutes, covered. Taste. Does it need more salt? Also, cook that pasta whenever the water is boiling. Remember to add a bit of salt to the water after it is boiling and before you add the pasta.
Step 6
When the pasta is almost done, we need to get set up for the last and crucial steps. In another pot or pan, ladle in the sauce you will be needing (this recipe makes enough sauce for 6 servings of pasta) and remember that this needs to be big enough to fit the pasta as well. If you are cooking for two, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking waster. If you are cooking for 4, reserve 1 cup. Add this water to the pot or pan with the sauce and heat up until it is bubbling. When the pasta is finished, strain, and then add it to the bubbling sauce. Let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce for 1 or 2 minutes, and stir frequently to coat all nooks and crannies of the pasta with the sauce. Now, transfer to plates/bowls. Top with lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, torn or sliced fresh basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. If you are cooking for six (!!!!) reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water. I would recommend you then transfer the sauce to the pot you boiled the pasta in after the pasta is strained. Combined with the reserved water, and once that has heated up add the pasta. I just want you to do less dishes.
TROFIE PASTA WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND ROASTED RED PEPPERS
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Italian sausage
- grapeseed oil
- 1 white or yellow onion, quartered and sliced sliced
- 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
- 16 ounce can of tomatoes, San Marzano recommended
- 2 roasted red peppers, sliced into 1” strips
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- fresh basil
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- short twisted pasta, such as trofie or strozzapretti
Instructions
- Heat up a pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add a little bit of grapeseed oil and then the Italian sausage. Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon and then let is brown on one side. Once you have broken up the sausage and it has some nice browning, remove the sausage to a plate lined with a paper towel.
- If you need a bit more oil in your cooking vessel, add some. If there is already enough, add the crushed red pepper and the fennel seeds. Stir and let cook for 30 seconds. After 30 more seconds, add the onions and reduce heat to medium. Add a pinch of kosher salt and stir well. Cook until the onions start to pick up some brown color. If you have the time, cook them until they caramelize.
- Add the tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Then fill the tomato can halfway with water and swirl to get any tomato bits left in the can. Add the water to the pot. Add a pinch of salt and some freshly cracked black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway.
- After the 20 minutes have elapsed, remove the lid. Break up the tomatoes as best as you can with your spoon. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot so that nothing gets stuck and burned. This is a good time to start boiling your pasta water (if you are making the sauce in advance, ignore this step).
- Add the sausage to the sauce as well as the sugar. Stir well and cook on low for 5 minutes, covered. Taste. Does it need more salt? Also, cook that pasta whenever the water is boiling. Remember to add a bit of salt to the water after it is boiling and before you add the pasta.
- When the pasta is almost done, we need to get set up for the last and crucial steps. In another pot or pan, ladle in the sauce you will be needing (this recipe makes enough sauce for 6 servings of pasta) and remember that this needs to be big enough to fit the pasta as well. If you are cooking for two, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking waster. If you are cooking for 4, reserve 1 cup. Add this water to the pot or pan with the sauce and heat up until it is bubbling. When the pasta is finished, strain, and then add it to the bubbling sauce. Let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce for 1 or 2 minutes, and stir frequently to coat all nooks and crannies of the pasta with the sauce. Now, transfer to plates/bowls. Top with lemon zest, a squeeze of lemon juice, torn or sliced fresh basil, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. If you are cooking for six (!!!!) reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water. I would recommend you then transfer the sauce to the pot you boiled the pasta in after the pasta is strained. Combined with the reserved water, and once that has heated up add the pasta. I just want you to do less dishes.
Notes
Refer to the website for additional details!
