This sausage and pasta recipe is a quick and easy skillet meal with incredible flavor, perfect for weeknight dinners with family. Delicious chunks of Italian sausage are combined with tomato garlic sauce, onion, red peppers, penne pasta, basil, and shaved parmesan cheese for a healthy and comforting meal. You’ll love every bite of this easy pasta recipe!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the sausage pasta skillet
- 1 package Italian sausage, 5 or 6 sausages total
- 1 lb (450g) penne pasta
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons crushed tomato
- 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar
- 1 scallion, sliced, for garnish
- Fresh chopped basil, for garnish
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Key Ingredients in the Sausage Pasta Recipe
- Italian sausage: We like spicy sausage, but if you’re not feeling adventurous, go for mild Italian sausage.
- Penne pasta: They hold the sauce pretty well. Rotini or rigatoni are chunky pastas that are also great options.
- Red bell pepper
- Red onion
- Fresh garlic, minced
- Ripe tomatoes
- Crushed tomato: Makes a base for the sauce, you don’t need to use a whole can – just two tablespoons.
- Vegetable or chicken broth: We usually use low-sodium broth to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Crushed chili pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Fennel seeds: That’s our secret weapon ;) Crush fennel seeds in a mortar, or run them quickly in a food processor to break them. Fennel brings up wonderful and sophisticated aromas to the pasta sauce.
- Scallions and fresh basil: For a refreshing touch that contrasts with the richness of the sauce.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
How to make sausage pasta
The recipe looks impressive at the end, but requires only simple steps:
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Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain and set aside.
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Brown the sausages in a skillet with a bit of oil (and optional water), then remove and slice.
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Sauté the aromatics (onions, spices, garlic, tomato) in the same skillet. Add bell pepper, crushed tomato, and broth; cook until veggies are tender.
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Add sliced sausage back to the skillet and simmer until fully cooked and the sauce thickens.
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Toss in the pasta, stir to coat, and garnish with basil, scallions, and parmesan.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Tips for the sausage pasta
This sausage pasta recipe is quick, easy, and uses easy-to-find ingredients. It’s a perfect weeknight dinner that tastes as it came from a restaurant! Here are a few tips to make the best sausage pasta ever:
- Make sure you don’t skip fennel seeds as they add a lot to the flavor of the dish.
- If you don’t use penne, use pasta that holds the sauce well, such as rigatoni or rotini.
- You can use different sausages to vary the flavors: chicken sausage or turkey kielbasa make great alternatives.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
How and for how long to store the sausage pasta
Keep the sausage pasta leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can reheat the dish in the microwave or in a skillet, with a few tablespoons water to loosen the sauce.
What other readers say about this sausage pasta recipe
“Simple and so yummy!” – Sharon
“I made this on a Monday evening, a perfect weeknight meal, I only had access to pork sausages, tinned tomatoes, and I didn’t have fennel seeds or Parmesan cheese. It was very tasty, we loved it, it will be a regular go-to for me. I also topped with shredded cheddar cheese and garnished with parsley. I’m looking forward to making it again with different sausages” – New
“This was really easy and very good” – Mamie
“Loved this dish! Very easy, filling, and delicious. I added potatoes, asparagus, and zucchini. What I liked is that you could add or take away things and it still had an amazing taste! A must-try🥰” – Esperanza
“So tasty so easy” – Debbie
“Changed a bit due to what we had available. Really easy to prepare and clean up. A crowd-pleaser for sure. Also, I suggest adding a little cinnamon and nutmeg. Gave a little extra flavor to the sauce and pasta and made the perfect fall dish.” – Mary
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
More pasta recipes you might like
- 15-Minute Chicken Stir Fry Noodles
- Tomato Spinach Sausage Pasta
- Parmesan Spinach Mushroom Pasta Skillet
- Tomato Spinach Shrimp Pasta
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Sausage Pasta Skillet
This sausage pasta recipe is quick, easy, and full of incredible flavors.
- 1 package Italian sausage, 5 or 6 sausages total
- 1 lb (450g) penne pasta
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons crushed tomato
- 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar
- 1 scallion, sliced, for garnish
- Fresh chopped basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and cook until browned on all sides. You can add 1/4 cup (60ml) of water so they don't blacken and stick to the pan. When the sausages are almost cooked, transfer to a cutting board.
- In the same skillet (remove water but keep the brown bits), add 1 tablespoon oil and sauté onions with crushed fennel seeds, crushed chili pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Add the garlic, ground tomato and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Then add bell pepper and diced tomatoes and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in broth and cook for another minute or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice sausage into 1/4 or 1/2-inch pieces and add back to the skillet with other ingredients. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until sausage is cooked through and sauce is thickened.
- Add pasta to the skillet and reheat for a couple of minutes, stirring gently to coat the pasta with the sauce. Garnish the sausage pasta skillet with basil, chopped scallion, and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
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Reviews (22)
Leave a reviewLeave a Reply
Lourdes
2024-09-25 18:16:41
Easy and delicious! My husband loves it….and he very picky about foods! He loves pasta dishes! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Tracy
2024-09-24 22:09:35
I spend time perusing recipes, but never follow them. I ALWAYS tweak them because they are never quite right. That changed today! I read the ingredients and decided to make it as written. I am SO glad I did! This recipe is AMAZING! I made it exactly as written and then immediately sent it to my daughter.! It's quick and easy but tastes like it took much longer to cook. Thanks so much!
Sharon
2023-10-19 13:21:06
This was very tasty! Had some (unplanned) substitutions. My tomatoes went bad so I used 2 cans of diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes and Spicy Premio Sausage. We like saucy so I'll probably double it next time. I've already shared the recipe with friends!
Marjorie
2023-09-24 15:53:02
Easily one of the most delicious and best recipes I’ve ever tried because it’s simply amazing. I was looking for something easy to make and to start my cooking skills and this dish was simple to follow and had inexpensive ingredients. I had never used fennel seeds before, but they added a different flavor to the dish which is why it was written in. Would 10/10 recommend and do again!
James
2023-04-15 23:49:27
I made this tonight and it was delicious. Did not have fennel, tomatoes to crush, parsley, and was missing a few other items. I used smoked sausage links instead of ground sausage and oregano for parsley. I also saved 2 cups of the pasta water before draining. I used half a cup of that water with some bullion for the half cup of broth and some garlic and basil pasta sauce, about 3/4 of a can of Wal-Mart brand, in place of crushed/blended tomatoes. After adding pasta I used some of the remaining pasta water to thin out and/or add moisture to the sauce. Other then that, lol, I followed the recipe as close as possible. It came out amazing. This recipe is so versatile that you can substitute almost anything, including leftovers to tweek it to you and your families personal tastes without ruining the basic/core flavor profile. Will definitely use this recipe again. Thanks Eatwell.
