This Quick Sausage and Pepper Pasta is a simple, family-friendly high protein dinner made with sausages, peppers, onions, tomatoes and Parmesan mixed into your favourite pasta shape.
This is easy to adapt, ready in about 30 minutes and uses budget-friendly ingredients. The peppers add sweetness, the sausage meat makes the sauce hearty and comforting, and the Parmesan gives it a creamy finish. Our go-to easy comfort food.
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Sausage meat (the meat taken out of the skins) is a great shortcut ingredient in this sausage and pepper pasta because it is already seasoned. Once removed from the skins, it breaks down into small pieces and cooks quickly, giving the tomato sauce loads of flavour without needing lots of extra ingredients.
One of the things we get asked for the most, is more high protein meals that the whole family will like, and this sausage and pepper pasta has 36 grams of protein per portion. It also freezes really well, making it perfect for batch cooking.
Looking for more sausage recipes? Why not try our delicious White Bean and Sausage Skillet, comforting Chicken Sausage Traybake or easy Chicken Sausage Breakfast Tacos?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Pasta - Penne, fusilli, rigatoni or farfalle are all good pasta shapes for this recipe because they hold the sauce well. Spaghetti or linguine can also be used, but short pasta is easier for younger children to eat.
- Sausages - Use good-quality sausages, as they are the main flavour in the dish. Pork sausage works really well, but chicken, turkey or vegetarian sausages can also be used. If using very lean sausages, you may need a little extra olive oil when frying.
- Peppers - Any colour peppers will work. Red, yellow and orange peppers are sweeter, while green peppers have a slightly sharper flavour.
- Onion - You could use shallots instead.
- Tomatoes - A good quality can of tomatoes. Cheaper brands will be quite watery.
- Parmesan - Parmesan cheese adds saltiness and depth to the sauce. A strong mature cheddar can be used instead, but Parmesan gives a more classic Italian-style flavour.
- Seasoning - We used an Italian seasoning blend, but you could use garlic granules and dried oregano.
- Oil - A good quality olive oil.
Variations
Spicy - Use spicy Italian sausages or add chilli flakes when cooking the sausage meat. You could also add a pinch of smoked paprika for a warmer flavour.
Extra veggies - Add courgette (zucchini), mushrooms, spinach, cherry tomatoes or grated carrot. Mushrooms can be cooked with the peppers, while spinach is best stirred in at the end so it just wilts into the sauce.
Creamy sausage and pepper pasta - Stir in a few tablespoons of cream cheese, crème fraîche, mascarpone or double cream at the end of cooking. I find my kids really like it this way.
Higher Protein - Use high-protein pasta or add a drained tin of lentils to the sauce. Lentils work especially well because they absorb the tomato and sausage flavours.
Vegetarian - Use vegetarian sausages and remove the skins if possible. If they do not break down easily, chop them into small pieces instead. You could also swap the sausage for butter beans.
Pasta Bake - Transfer the mixed pasta and sauce to an ovenproof dish, top with mozzarella or cheddar and bake until golden and bubbling.
How To Make Sausage and Pepper Pasta
- Step 1: Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the peppers and sausage meat.
- Step 3: Break the sausage meat down with a spoon and cook for 5 minutes.
- Step 4: At this point, put a pot of water on to boil and cook the pasta to al dente.
- Step 5: Once the sausage meat has browned, add the chopped tomatoes, Italian seasoning and tomato puree.
- Step 6: Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Step 7: Stir in the grated Parmesan, salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and add to the pan, mixing well to coat the pasta in the sauce.
Serving Options
This pasta is filling enough to serve on its own, but it also goes well with a simple side salad, air fryer garlic bread or roasted vegetables.
These are quite generous serving sizes, so you could reduce them and serve smaller portions with roasted tenderstem broccoli, green beans or a tomato and cucumber salad.
For children, you can serve it with grated cheese on top and some cucumber sticks or sweetcorn on the side. If your children prefer a smoother sauce, chop the peppers smaller so they blend into the sauce more easily.
Storage and Reheating
Make ahead - Cook the sauce fully, let it cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cook fresh pasta when you are ready to serve, then mix it through the reheated sauce.
Refrigerate - Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce as it sits, so add a splash of water when reheating.
Reheat - You can reheat sausage and pepper pasta in a pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until piping hot. You can also reheat it in the microwave, stirring halfway through.
Freezer - This sauce freezes well. Freeze the sauce without the pasta for the best texture. Store it in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat until piping hot and mix with freshly cooked pasta. You can freeze leftovers with the pasta too, but it might go a bit mushy.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Use a large frying pan or casserole-style pan so there is enough space to break down and brown the sausage meat properly. If the pan is too crowded, the sausage can steam instead of brown.
- Break the sausage meat into small pieces as it cooks. This helps it distribute evenly through the sauce and makes the finished pasta easier to eat.
- Do not skip the tomato puree. It gives the sauce a richer flavour and helps thicken it quickly.
- Salt the pasta water well. This seasons the pasta from the inside and makes a big difference to the final dish.
- Reserve a little pasta water before draining. The starchy water helps loosen the sauce and makes it cling to the pasta better.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Sausages and Parmesan can both be salty, so you may not need much.
- Cook the pasta until just al dente. It will soften a little more when mixed into the hot sauce.
More High Protein Pasta Recipes
If you've tried this easy sausage pepper pasta recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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Recipe
Quick Sausage and Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Onion - medium; diced
- 2 Red bell pepper - diced
- 400 g (14 oz) Pork sausages - skins removed
- 800 g (1.75 lb) Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 2 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 15 g (0.5 oz) Parmesan - finely grated
- 2 pinch Sea salt
- 2 pinch Ground black pepper
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Fresh pasta
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan and add 1 Onion. Cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 2 Red bell pepper and 400 g Pork sausages (meat only).
- Break the sausage meat down with a spoon and cook for 5 minutes.
- At this point, put a pot of water on to boil and cook 500 g Fresh pasta to al dente.
- Once the sausage meat has browned, add 800 g Chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoon Tomato puree and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning.
- Mix well and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in 15 g Parmesan (grated), 2 pinch Sea salt and 2 pinch Ground black pepper. Drain the pasta and add to the pan, mixing well to coat the pasta in the sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Use a large frying pan or casserole-style pan so there is enough space to break down and brown the sausage meat properly. If the pan is too crowded, the sausage can steam instead of brown.
- Break the sausage meat into small pieces as it cooks. This helps it distribute evenly through the sauce and makes the finished pasta easier to eat.
- Do not skip the tomato puree. It gives the sauce a richer flavour and helps thicken it quickly.
- Salt the pasta water well. This seasons the pasta from the inside and makes a big difference to the final dish.
- Reserve a little pasta water before draining. The starchy water helps loosen the sauce and makes it cling to the pasta better.
- Taste before adding extra salt. Sausages and Parmesan can both be salty, so you may not need much.
- Cook the pasta until just al dente. It will soften a little more when mixed into the hot sauce.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Kat says
They call this American goulash in the US. The recipe calls for ground beef instead of sausage, though. My kids love it!
CaitlinC says
A staple in my family. Perfect vehicle for adding vegetables you have on hand ex. zucchini and mushrooms.