Description
Sausage and sweet pepper pasta delivers a symphony of Italian-inspired flavors that dance across your palate. Rich Italian sausage mingles with colorful peppers, creating a comforting meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 0.5 pound (226 grams) mild or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
Vegetables:
- 0.5 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- 2 medium red or yellow bell peppers, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pasta and Seasonings:
- 8 ounces (226 grams) dry short-cut pasta (rigatoni, penne, or fusilli)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1.5 teaspoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 0.5 cup reserved pasta water
- Toasted breadcrumbs (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the sausage until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Incorporate tomato paste and caramelize for 1-2 minutes, creating deep flavor complexity. Remove sausage and set aside.
- In the same skillet, drizzle olive oil and introduce onions and bell peppers. Slowly transform vegetables over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring consistently until they soften and develop rich caramel notes. Fold in tomato paste, minced garlic, brown sugar, oregano, and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle kosher salt and continue cooking until mixture becomes luxuriously jammy. Add water if vegetables appear dry.
- Simultaneously, immerse pasta in heavily salted boiling water, cooking approximately 1 minute less than package recommendations. Carefully extract 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Reunite pasta and sausage within the pepper-laden skillet. Stream reserved pasta water, gently tossing for 2-3 minutes until sauce achieves silky consistency and thoroughly embraces pasta strands. Adjust liquid as needed for optimal texture. Garnish with toasted breadcrumbs if desired, then serve immediately while piping hot.
Notes
- Choose sausage with robust flavors like spicy Italian or chorizo to enhance the overall dish’s taste profile.
- Slice bell peppers and onions uniformly for consistent caramelization and even cooking throughout the skillet.
- Keep pasta water starchy and salty, acting as a crucial emulsifier to create a silky, glossy sauce that clings perfectly to pasta.
- For vegetarian adaptation, swap sausage with plant-based alternatives like crumbled tempeh or mushroom-based sausage substitutes to maintain similar texture and depth.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 564 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 31 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg