Sausage and Peppers Pasta

Sausage pepper pasta with zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and grated parmesan with a wood spoon.

This Sausage and Peppers Pasta is a classic Italian combination that is always a hit. It's easy to make and perfect for entertaining.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Author : Kari Peters

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 722kcal

Ingredients

1 pound pasta or 12-oz pkg gluten-free, penne, rigatoni, or fusilli
1 pound bulk Italian sausage mild or spicy
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion diced, 3 cups
2 cloves garlic minced
2 red bell peppers diced, 3 cups
2 medium zucchini quartered and thinly sliced, see notes
2 cups heavy cream or reserved pasta cooking water, see notes
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes halved or quartered to make bite sized pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil roughly chopped, see notes

Serving:

Freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

Start by prepping all the veggies and bring a large pot of water to a boil. Dice the onions, quarter and slice the zucchini, dice the red bell peppers, and cut the tomatoes in half or in quarters if larger.
In a large skillet, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it up into small bites, over medium-high heat until cooked through and beginning to brown.
Add the red onions to the pan and cook for one to two minutes until beginning to soften, then add the red bell pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the red bell pepper is softening, then add the zucchini and cook for one to two minutes before adding the optional heavy cream.
While the zucchini is cooking, boil the pasta in heavily salted water until al dente.
When the pasta is done and the zucchini is tender, reserve 2 cups of cooking water if you're not using the cream. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan, and toss to combine.
Add reserved pasta water as necessary to make the pasta saucy if you don't use the heavy cream. Add the fresh tomatoes and season to taste with sea salt before serving with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan.

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Notes

You can also use 4 cups (4oz) of baby spinach (roughly chopped in place of the zucchini.

For a lighter, fresher version, omit the heavy cream and reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water before you drain it. Add the pasta water as needed to the finished dish to make it 'saucy', not watery.

In the winter, I like to use 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves instead of basil. Add the rosemary to the pan with the onions and garlic because it needs more time to cook. I also omit the cherry tomatoes when they're not in season.

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