Italian Sausage Pasta
This Italian sausage pasta is loaded with sweet peppers, onions, and bold tomato sauce — made in one pan in 30 minutes with no cream required. Works beautifully with chicken or pork Italian sausage for a hearty, family-friendly weeknight dinner that reheats well all week.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dried linguine
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 sweet bell peppers red, orange, or yellow, thinly sliced
- 1 white or yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1 lb. raw sweet Italian pork sausage chicken or pork (bulk or removed from casings)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes such as San Marzano or Roma Plum (or crushed tomatoes)
- ¾ teaspoon granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese cubed
- ½ cup fresh basil sliced or torn
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook linguine for 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add peppers and onions and sauté, stirring continuously, 5–6 minutes until onions soften.
- Add sausage. Cook, crumbling as you stir, 4–5 minutes until cooked through and no longer pink.
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Bring to a simmer. Cook 3–4 minutes, crushing tomatoes as you cook, until sauce reduces by ⅓. Reduce heat to medium.
- Stir in drained pasta. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce reduces by half and coats the pasta.
- Turn off heat. Stir in mozzarella and fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Notes
- Don't fully cook the pasta — undercook by 2 minutes so it finishes in the sauce.
- Save pasta water — a splash loosens the sauce if it reduces too much.
- Add mozzarella off the heat — keeps it soft and creamy instead of stringy.
- Chicken sausage — substitutes 1:1 for a leaner version. Cook to 165°F internal temperature.
- Jarred sauce shortcut — substitute a 24 oz. jar of marinara for the canned tomatoes; skip the sugar and salt.
- Gluten-free — use your favorite GF pasta, such as garbanzo or brown rice pasta.
- Storage — refrigerate 4–5 days. Freeze up to 2 months (best without the mozzarella — add fresh when reheating).
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 of the recipe, made with chicken sausageCalories: 490kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 30gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 676mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5g
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