Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
on Jan 16, 2022, Updated May 07, 2025
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The classic Italian combo of sausage and peppers in a rich tomato sauce with the pasta of your choice.
The classic Italian sausage and pepper sandwich ingredients are translated into a hearty pasta recipe!
Growing up, I looked forward to the San Gennaro festival in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City every September, and it’s still going strong. Sparkly banners hang over a multi-square block area, and the streets fill with throngs of people. The point of the festival is to honor Saint Gennaro, an Italian bishop who died a martyr. The event is actually called the Feast of San Gennaro (“the feast to end all feasts”), and if you think the food is the main event of the festival, you are correct.
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There are loads of food stands, and the ones with the longest lines sell amazing overstuffed subs/hoagies/whatever you call them filled with sausages and peppers and onions. The smells are tantalizing, imaginary cartoon curlicues hooking guests by the nose and drawing them to the stands. This is the pasta version of those sandwiches, easier to serve for a crowd, and more dinner-feeling.
Table of Contents
Sausage and Peppers Pasta: The classic Italian sub sandwich combo, translated into a stick-to-your-ribs tomato sauce-based pasta dish.
Ingredients
- Sausage – You can use hot sausage, sweet sausage, or a combination. You can use turkey sausages, pork sausages, or even chicken sausages. Buy the uncooked sausages, not the pre-cooked ones.
- Red bell peppers – I like the sweetness of red peppers, but you can use any color you like.
- Onion – Sliced, so they have a real presence in the pasta.
- Garlic – Critical!
- Oregano and basil – Classic Italian seasonings.
- Marsala wine – Adds a bit of sweetness and brings out the flavors of the sausages.
- Tomato paste – Add depth to the sauce.
- Diced or crushed tomatoes – Some diced and crushed tomatoes come in more of a juice, and some come in a thicker puree. Both are fine here, but the canned tomatoes in the thicker puree will obviously yield a thicker sauce. You can thin a too-thick sauce with additional cooking water from the pasta if you like. I’ve found some lovely 14-ounce cans of sweet cherry tomatoes from Italy, which I’ve roughly chopped to use in the sauce.
- Dried ziti – Ziti is a classic choice, but you can use any pasta you like, from short chunky shapes, like penne or rigatoni, or even long strands, like spaghetti or linguine. Short pasta shapes sometimes are available with the word “rigate,” which means ridges, and those ridges help the past hold onto the sauce really well.
- Red pepper flakes – Love a bit of kick in this dish.
- Parmesan cheese – Use a generous hand!
Tips and Variations
- The browning of the sausages seasons the pan and provides a base level of flavor that you will build upon when you sauté the peppers and onions for the sauce.
- If you want to top the finished pasta with some slivered fresh basil or fresh oregano leaves, that would be a lovely, lovely touch.
- If you happen to have some leftover Peporanata, you should use it in this pasta!
How to Make Sausage and Pepper Pasta
- Cook the sausage: Brown the sausages in a skillet until they are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Make the sauce: Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining oil. Add the peppers and onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil, and cook for one minute until you can smell the garlic. Add the wine and stir until the wine has reduced by half. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer the sausage in sauce: Slice the sausages about 1/2-inch thick and add them to the pan. Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes or so until the sauce has thickened.
- Cook the pasta: Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the cooking water into the sauce, depending on how thick you like your sauce.
- Toss and serve: Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a large, shallow serving bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve hot, with the rest of the Parmesan passed on the side.
Kitchen Smarts
You could also bake or air fry your sausages instead of sauteeing. See How to Cook Italian Sausages in the Air Fryer and How to Cook Italian Sausages in the Oven!
What to Serve With Sausage and Pepper Pasta
More Italian Pasta Dishes
- Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Linguine
- Best Turkey Lasagna
- Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti
- Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
- Cacio e Pepe
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Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil (divided)
- 1 pound Italian turkey or pork sausages (sweet or hot)
- 2 red bell peppers (cored, seeded, and sliced lengthwise)
- 2 large onions (halved and sliced)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ cup Marsala wine
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 can (14 1/2-ounce) diced or crushed tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound dried ziti
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan (plus more to serve)
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook them, turning as they brown, until they are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausages to a plate.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the peppers and onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender. Add the garlic, oregano, and basil, and cook for one minute until you can smell the garlic. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced by half. Stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes and bring to a simmer.
- Slice the sausages about 1/2-inch thick and add them to the pan. Simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes or so until the sauce has thickened.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and return it to the pot. Stir 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the cooking water into the sauce, depending on how thick you like your sauce. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to a large shallow serving bowl, and sprinkle with the 1/4 cup Parmesan. Serve hot, with the rest of the Parmesan passed on the side.
This is exactly the peppers and sausage recipe I’ve been searching for! It’s fantastic with pasta as described, what a hit. It’s also excellent doubled or tripled for a party, served with mini Italian rolls.