Description
This Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta recipe combines sweet Italian sausage with colorful bell peppers and a savory tomato sauce, tossed with ziti pasta for a hearty, flavorful meal. Perfect for a quick 30-minute dinner, it offers a delicious twist on the traditional sausage and peppers dish by incorporating pasta and balsamic vinegar to enhance the sauce’s depth.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces ziti pasta
Sausage and Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- 4 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 medium-sized bell peppers (any color), sliced into 2-inch-long pieces
- 1 cup chopped onion
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 18 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Garnish
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Boil the Pasta: Cook the ziti pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the Sausage: Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Break up the sausage with a spoon as it cooks until it’s browned and cooked through.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Add chopped garlic, sliced bell peppers, and chopped onion to the pan with the sausage. Stir well and cook for about five minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Deglaze and Simmer: Pour in the balsamic vinegar and use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the crushed tomatoes and kosher salt. Stir to combine and bring the sauce to a simmer. Let it cook for about five minutes to meld flavors and finish cooking the sausage and peppers in the sauce.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the cooked pasta directly to the pan with the sauce. Toss everything together thoroughly so the pasta is well coated with the flavorful sausage and pepper sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top before serving to add color and freshness.
Notes
- This recipe is a quick 30-minute dinner solution with fresh, vibrant flavors.
- The balsamic vinegar adds a subtle sweetness and depth to the sauce, enhancing the traditional sausage and peppers combination.
- You can adjust the red pepper flakes to increase or decrease the heat level according to your taste.
- Any color bell pepper or a mix of colors will work well in this dish.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute the ziti pasta with a gluten-free variety.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 464 kcal
- Sugar: 13.8 g
- Sodium: 1043.1 mg
- Fat: 12.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65.1 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 24.8 g
- Cholesterol: 25.5 mg
