One Pot Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Cut down on dishes with this creamy, crowd-pleasing One Pot Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta. Zesty ground sausage, sweet roasted red peppers, and dry penne cook entirely in a single pot of chicken broth and tomato basil sauce. Finished with a quick swirl of cream cheese and Parmesan, it delivers a rich, velvety restaurant-style meal with very little cleanup!
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 Italian sausage, onion and minced garlic to large, deep skillet or wide pot (at least 3.5 quarts in size). Brown and crumble over medium-high heat.1 pound ground Italian sausage, 1 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Add liquids and pasta:Once meat is browned, stir in chicken broth, tomato basil pasta sauce and half-and-half. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer and stir through penne pasta (uncooked!) and roasted red peppers (drained and diced).3 cups chicken broth, 12 oz tomato basil pasta sauce, 1 cup half-and-half, 12 oz penne pasta, 1 (12-oz) jar roasted red peppers
- 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 cream cheese and grated parmesan cheese. Allow cheeses to melt for 1-2 minutes, then serve immediately.2 oz cream cheese, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
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