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This skillet Italian sausage and peppers with whole-wheat penne is the perfect home cooked meal and it’s all in one pot which makes clean up a breeze!
This dish is a family favorite for us! And it’s weird to say that because I have picky eaters (they are SO much better than they used to be), and usually peppers and onions aren’t on the “yes list” for picky eaters, but in this recipe, they just work! The flavor is bold, and everyone loves sausage and pasta!
When I need to get dinner on the table quickly, this is one of my go-to recipes. All you need is one pan and 30 minutes!
What Do I Need to Make Sausage and Peppers Penne?
Most of the ingredients in this dish are pantry staples, so all you will need at the grocery store are some sausage links, a couple of peppers and an onion. Here is a list of what you will need:
- Whole-wheat Penne Pasta – you can find this right by all the other pasta at the grocery store
- Italian Sausage – I generally go with mild uncooked sausage, but you could use spicy sausage or a sweet sausage depending on what you are craving
- Green Pepper – remove the stem and seeds and slice into thin slices
- Red Pepper – remove the stem and seeds and slice into thin slices, red peppers are a little sweeter than green peppers so they add another dimension of flavor
- Yellow Onion – use a sharp knife to slice the onion in the thin slices
- Red Wine (cooking wine) – we don’t drink alcohol so we cook with cooking wine, but feel free to use whichever you prefer
- Tomato Paste – a 6oz can, any brand works, just choose your favorite
- Tomato Sauce – an 8oz can, any brand works, just choose your favorite
- Water – thins out the sauce a little
- Italian Seasoning – a dried seasoning blend that you can buy at the grocery store that usually includes dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme and dried marjoram
- Sugar – enhances the flavors
- Salt – adds flavor
- Parmesan Cheese – great for a garnish to add an extra punch of flavor
The measurements for every ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. The detailed instructions for how to make this recipe are also in the recipe card.
Reasons You Will Love This Italian Sausage Recipe
Here are a few reasons that you are going to love this recipe:
- Easy: The ingredients are simple and easy to find. The recipe is made in one pot so cleanup is easy. The only techniques you need to know are slicing, sauteing and simmering. Nothing fancy here!
- Quick: I live for dinner recipes that come together in less than a half hour!
- Flavor: By sauteing the sausage in the pan first, it flavors the whole dish. The peppers and onions get flavored by the sausage and add their own flavors and then the tomato pasta and sauce with the Italian seasoning and red wine add all the flavor you need.
- Well rounded: This dish includes veggies, protein and carbs all in one pan so you don’t even need sides if you don’t want them.
- Inexpensive: All of the ingredients are cheap making this recipe very budget friendly.
What Italian Sausage is Best in Pasta?
Italian sausage and peppers are sautéed and then simmered in the rich sauce and tossed with cooked whole-wheat penne pasta. I like to use a mild Italian sausage, but you could use a sweet or spicy pork sausage, or even a turkey or chicken Italian sausage would work great if you’re really watching your calories.
One Pot Pasta Recipe
What I really love about this, is everything is cooked and assembled in one big pot (aside from the cooking of the pasta), it’s seriously easy as can be and comes together in 30 minutes (or less!).
What is Italian Sausage?
Italian sausage most often refers to a style of pork sausage that is seasoned with fennel.
Can Italian Sausage Be a Little Pink?
It’s ok to be a little pink in the middle but it shouldn’t look raw. If you’ve cooked it for the time & method it says on the packet it should be alright.
Dinner is on the table in 30 minutes and the whole family loves it! This Italian sausage and peppers whole-wheat penne is guaranteed to go into your regular dinner rotation!
Quick PASTA Dinner Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Artichoke Pasta
- Spaghetti and Meatballs
- 20 Minute Pesto Pasta
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- 20 Minute Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
- Crispy Pancetta Ravioli
- 20 Minute Cherry Tomato and Angel Hair Pasta
Skillet Italian Sausage and Peppers with Whole-Wheat Penne
Ingredients
- 12 Ounces Whole-Wheat Penne Pasta
- 1 Pound Italian Sausage Links, 1 package
- 1 Small Green Pepper, sliced
- 1 Small Red Pepper, sliced
- 1 Small Yellow Onion, sliced thin
- ½ Cup Red Wine, we use cooking red wine
- 6 Ounces Tomato Paste
- 8 Ounces Tomato Sauce
- 12 Ounces Water
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Parmesan Cheese for finishing
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta until al dente.12 Ounces Whole-Wheat Penne Pasta
- Reserve starchy cooking water.
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat.
- Brown sausages on all sides, until almost cooked through, remove and cut into ¼ inch slices. You don’t have to worry about cooking them all the way through, they will finish cooking while the sauce simmers.1 Pound Italian Sausage Links
- In the same pan drizzle another teaspoon or so of olive oil and sauté the peppers and onions until slightly softened, about five minutes.1 Small Green Pepper, 1 Small Red Pepper, 1 Small Yellow Onion
- Return sausage back to the pan and deglaze with red wine.½ Cup Red Wine
- Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, sugar and salt.6 Ounces Tomato Paste, 8 Ounces Tomato Sauce, 12 Ounces Water, ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon Sugar, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer for ten minutes.
- Add penne to the skillet, toss with sauce. If needed add starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce up.
- Season with salt and pepper and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.Parmesan Cheese for finishing
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This dish is the bomb dot com! It didn’t take long to put together, and I served the Sausage and Bell Pepper Pasta with cheesy garlic bread on the side! My sister and I both came back for seconds! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe, Ms. Carrie!
Yay! Thank you so much for the feedback! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! It’s one of our family favorites!
This was really delicious, not too tomato-y for us as some people commented, although I did add more (quality) wine than instructed. We liked the somewhat sweet taste from the sugar and red bell pepper and used regular penne, not whole wheat. Cooking the sausages as directed was sort of a pain, and they still weren’t done enough after 20 minutes, although I guess they finished cooking in the sauce. Anyway, will definitely be making this again!
Thank you so much for the feedback Helen!
This was excellent,I did add additional peppers, and mushrooms. The wine deglaze seals the deal! Will make this again!
Yay! Love to hear this! Thanks Holly!
Easy and very tasty! I omitted the onion (intolerance) and used a Pinot noir for the wine and it was so good. This will be part of my regular rotation.
Yay! Love to hear this!
Delicious! I used regular penne instead of whole wheat, added garlic, oregano instead of Italian seasoning. I used drinking wine and always add Parmesan cheese to my sauce. Definitely would make again!
Thank you so much Patricia! So glad you enjoyed it!
I made this recipe for dinner last week and I was surprised that it did not have garlic in it! I thought it was a little bland. How much garlic would you suggest adding? I clove, minced?
I used real wine – pinot grigio, which helped the flavor, but it was still a little bland for our taste.
Hi Ann! You can definitely add garlic if you want. 1-2 cloves would be great!