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Delicious sweet pepper sausage pasta served in a bowl with fresh herbs.

Sweet Pepper & Sausage Pasta

A simple and tasty pasta dish made with sweet peppers and sausage, perfect for weeknight dinners.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the pasta
  • 8 oz dry short-cut pasta (rigatoni, penne, or fusilli) Cook 1 minute less than package instructions
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water Help make the sauce silky
For the sauce
  • ½ lb Italian sausage, casings removed Can use mild or spicy sausage
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste Divided
  • 2 tbsp olive oil Divided
  • ½ unit sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium red or yellow bell peppers, sliced Can mix colors for presentation
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1½ tsp light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
For serving
  • Toasted breadcrumbs Optional, for crunch

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the sausage and cook until browned and just cooked through.
  3. Stir in 1 tbsp of tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes until caramelized.
  4. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
Cooking
  1. In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Add the onions and bell peppers. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until softened and caramelized.
  3. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp of tomato paste, garlic, brown sugar, oregano, and balsamic vinegar.
  4. Season with kosher salt and cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is jammy. Add a splash of water if the peppers start to dry out.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in generously salted boiling water for 1 minute less than the package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
  6. Add the pasta and cooked sausage back into the skillet with the peppers.
  7. Pour in ¼ cup reserved pasta water, stirring for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta. Add more pasta water as needed for a silky texture.
Serving
  1. Serve immediately, topped with toasted breadcrumbs if desired.

Notes

For extra flavor, brown the sausage well and cook the peppers slowly for sweetness. Use reserved pasta water to adjust the sauce's consistency. Can be served with a simple green salad or crusty bread.