Well Dined | Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been for the past 2 weeks, the answer is – vacation!  I will be writing about that for sure, but before I get to it I want to talk about this pasta that I made before we left.  My friend Melissa (you know her by now) was also going out of town, a little before we were, and gifted me several of her home-grown bell peppers and tomatoes.  I wanted to use them to do a take on sausage and peppers in pasta form because I’m, well, me.

Well Dined | Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

So I browned some sliced sausage, and then threw in an onion, the peppers, and the tomatoes to saute.  Then I tossed in cooked whole wheat penne along with pasta water, a splash of cream, and some Parmesan to make a sauce.  And finally, I topped it with some fresh basil and parsley.  Fast, easy, and hearty.  Thanks Melissa!

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers
a Well Dined Original
serves 4

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs sausage (I went with mild Italian pork), sliced or crumbled
1 small onion, sliced
2 medium bell peppers, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan
fresh basil and parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil; cook pasta according to directions for al dente (or just shy).  Drain, but do not rinse, and reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add the sausage and brown.  Discard all but 2 tbsp of fat.  Add the onion, bell peppers, and tomatoes to the pan and cook until softened.

Add the pasta to the vegetable mixture and toss to combine.  Add the cream and enough pasta water to make a sauce.  Toss with the Parmesan, remove from the heat, and top with the herbs.

One Year Ago – Blueberry Cheesecake Galette
Two Years Ago – Lemon Blackberry Ricotta Muffins
Three Years Ago – CSA Week 15

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