Penne, Sausage and Peppers is an easy, yummy meal! Italian sausage, onions, spices and red/green bell peppers in pasta, topped with Parmesan!
Simple and delicious is how I would describe this recipe for penne, sausage and peppers I’m sharing here today. I found this recipe almost 7 years ago in a magazine I subscribed to at the time. It’s filling, and my husband and I enjoy it a lot.
Italian sausage is the star of this recipe, and you can use either sweet mild Italian sausage or spicy hot Italian sausage, whichever you prefer.
The other ingredients are red and green bell peppers, onion, olive oil and a couple of Italian spices. That’s it! Here’s how to make this easy dish:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Cook The Italian Sausage
Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Remove the Italian sausage from their casings (if using links) and place the meat into the skillet.
Cook the sausage for about 5-6 minutes, stirring to break up the chunks. Once the sausage is lightly browned and no longer pink, it is done cooking.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a plate (letting grease drain back into skillet). Leave 1 Tablespoon of the grease remaining in the skillet, and discard the rest.
Cook The Onions And Bell Peppers
On Medium heat, cook the onions, peppers and spices in reserved Tablespoon of oil/grease left in the skillet.
Continue to cook these veggies, stirring them occasionally for about 10-12 minutes, or until the veggies become tender.
Add the cooked Italian sausage back into the skillet and toss to combine all ingredients. Take a little bite, and then season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Prepare The Pasta And Finish The Dish
Prepare the penne pasta according to the package directions (usually around 10-11 minutes). Once done, reserve and set aside 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and drain off the rest.
Place the drained pasta back into the pan and add the sausage and peppers mixture. Pour in the reserved 1/2 cup of hot starchy pasta water, and toss, to combine all the ingredients.
The water will help to moisten the pasta, because there is no sauce. Don’t worry, because it won’t be “soupy”. That hot pasta will quickly absorb almost all the hot water as you toss the ingredients together.
Cook everything together, stirring often, until this dish is fully heated through (about a minute).
Serve The Penne, Sausage and Peppers
Once heated through, place portions onto serving plates or into bowls. Top each portion of the penne, sausage and peppers with grated Parmesan cheese, and serve immediately while hot.
The onions, peppers and sausage provide great flavor to this simple dish, and I’m sure you (and those you love) will enjoy it.
TIP: Leftovers can be easily microwaved to re-heat, but you may need to add a tiny bit of olive oil or hot water to re-hydrate the pasta before you heat it.
I hope you have the opportunity to try this recipe for penne, sausage and peppers. It really is easy to make and really does tastes wonderful.
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!
Looking For More PASTA Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have lots of yummy pasta dishes to choose from, including:
- Easy Tomato Basil Pasta
- Florentine Lasagna Roll
- Garlic Parmesan Pasta And Shrimp
- Chicken Club Pasta Salad
- Simple Szechuan Noodles
Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!
I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc.
Would you like to join our growing list of subscribers?
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use.
You can submit your e-mail address there, to be added to my mailing list.
Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks
Recipe adapted from: Jodi Braun, via “All You” magazine, November 2015 edition, page 64.
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Penne, Sausage and Peppers is an easy, yummy meal! Italian sausage, onions, spices and red/green bell peppers in pasta, topped with Parmesan!
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ pound Italian sausage (sweet or hot) removed from casings (approx. 3 links)
- ½ large green bell pepper seeded, thinly sliced
- ½ large red bell pepper seeded, thinly sliced
- ½ medium yellow onion thinly sliced (top to bottom)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Remove sausage from casings (if using links); place meat in skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring to break up chunks, cooking until meat is no longer pink. Use slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate (let grease drain into skillet). Leave 1 Tablespoon of the grease in skillet; discard the rest.
On Medium heat, cook onions, peppers and spices in reserved oil/grease in skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes, until veggies are tender.
Add cooked sausage to veggies; toss to combine. Take a taste; season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Prepare pasta according to pkg. directions (usually 10-11 minutes). Once done, reserve/set aside 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water; drain off the rest. Place drained pasta back into pan; add sausage/peppers. Pour in reserved 1/2 cup of hot starchy pasta water. Toss to combine. Cook, stirring often until heated through (about a minute).
Transfer to serving plates; garnish portions with grated Parmesan cheese, and serve hot. Enjoy!
Can substitute rotini, farfalle or bow-tie pasta for the penne, if desired.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards! 