One Pot Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
This One Pot Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta is an easy weeknight dinner you can make in just 30 minutes. Even the pasta cooks right in the creamy sauce – and you’ll only have one pot to wash!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 663kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 cup chopped onion about 1 medium
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups chicken broth or more as needed
- 12 oz tomato basil pasta sauce (half of a 24-oz jar)
- 1 cup half-and-half fat free if desired; OR heavy cream; OR evaporated milk
- 12 oz penne pasta uncooked!
- 1 (12-oz) jar roasted red peppers drained and diced
- 2 oz cream cheese (¼ of a Philly brick)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Brown meat: Add 1 pound ground Italian sausage, 1 cup chopped onion and 2 cloves garlic (minced) to large, deep skillet or wide pot (at least 3.5 quarts in size). Brown and crumble over medium-high heat.
- Add liquids and pasta: Once meat is browned, stir in 3 cups chicken broth, 12 oz tomato basil pasta sauce and 1 cup half-and-half. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer and stir through 12 oz penne pasta (uncooked!) and 1 (12-oz) jar roasted red peppers (drained and diced).
- Cook: Simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring a few times to keep pasta from sticking to bottom of pan. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low and finish cooking, checking and stirring every few minutes, until pasta is done (about 3-5 minutes longer than package indicates).
- Finish and serve: Take pan off the heat. Stir through 2 oz cream cheese and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese. Allow cheeses to melt for 1-2 minutes, then serve immediately.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Pasta: Most short pasta shapes work. Please note that the cooking time and chicken broth required is influenced by the pasta type you use – more expensive pasta brands often require more liquid because they tend to be thicker.
- Italian sausage: Use mild or hot, whatever you like best! You can also use Italian seasoned ground turkey for a leaner dish, if you’d like.
- Tomato basil sauce: This is what I like best in this recipe. If you only have unseasoned tomato sauce on hand, add some Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to the sausage as it’s browning.
Recipe tips
- Do not pre-cook the pasta! It goes in uncooked!
- Stir frequently: You’ll want to stir this dish once every 3-4 minutes, releasing any pasta stuck on the bottom to keep it from sticking and burning.
- Add more liquid if needed: If you notice your pasta getting too dry (this depends a lot on your exact type of pasta used), add a little more broth or half-and-half.
- Serve immediately: The pasta continues soaking up the sauce as it sits, so for best results serve this dish immediately!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 663kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 2.183mg | Potassium: 727mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 980IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 206mg | Iron: 3mg