Weeknight dinners don’t get easier, or more elegant, than this Sausage Red Pepper Pasta! Tender penne pasta is packed with spicy Italian sausage, mushrooms, fresh spinach, and a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. It’s made in one pot and it’s ready in about 30 minutes!

Skillet of creamy red pepper pasta with wooden spoon

When it comes to easy dinners, you can’t beat one pot pasta recipes. I personally don’t love doing dishes, so having just one pot to wash is ideal!

Skillet Lasagna is a family favorite as it’s made with my homemade marinara sauce, and of course there’s plenty of cheese involved! Then there’s my chicken pesto pasta complete with tender chunks of chicken breast, veggies and my basil pesto sauce.

This Creamy Sausage Red Pepper Pasta is a delicious change from your average pasta dinner because of the creamy red pepper sauce.

This recipe was inspired by a friend that hosted a casual dinner party years ago.  I helped her in the kitchen while she prepared a dish very similar to this, and I told her not to be surprised if she saw an adaptation of her recipe on my blog soon.  

I made this recipe my own by giving it a one pot pasta twist, added more veggies, and lightened it up a bit by using less cream.

The result is a meal that everyone is excited about, and it gets rave reviews every time. 🙂

Creamy red pepper pasta on a plate

Why you’ll love this recipe:

  • This creamy red pepper pasta recipe is packed with flavorful Italian sausage, veggies and a creamy red pepper sauce that takes it over the top.
  • It’s ready in 30 minutes and there’s only one pot to wash.
  • The roasted red peppers may be puréed in advance to make this meal go even more quickly.
  • This meal is quick enough for busy weeknights or elegant enough for dinner parties and holidays.

Recipe ingredients

  • Pasta. Sub the penne pasta with your favorite.
  • Italian sausage. Spicy Italian sausage adds a nice kick of heat, but it can be subbed with mild sausage or your favorite ground meat.
  • Roasted red peppers. The roasted red peppers are puréed until smooth and are the foundation of this sauce. I used my favorite store bought variety, or follow the instructions on how to roast bell peppers by Tori Avey if you’d like to make them yourself.
  • Cream. Heavy cream adds richness and makes the sauce nice and silky.
  • Veggies. This pasta includes onion, garlic, mushrooms and spinach, but the veggies can be customized based on what you have on hand.

How to make this recipe

This creamy red pepper pasta is so easy to make, and it’s prepared in one pot.

The pasta absorbs the water as it cooks and releases its starches, which makes the dish nice and silky even before the cream is added.

Pro tip: Purée the roasted red peppers in advance to make this meal go even more quickly!

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

How to make red pepper pasta collage
  1. Cook the Italian sausage until no longer pink, then remove from the pan.
  2. Add the onions, garlic and mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes.
  3. Purée the roasted red peppers in a food processor until smooth.
  4. Add the sausage back to the pan along with the water, cream and puréed red peppers and stir.
  5. Bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed and the pasta is tender. Add the spinach.
  6. Cook until the spinach has wilted, then remove from heat and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Skillet of creamy red pepper pasta with spinach

FAQs

What is red pepper sauce made of?

This creamy red pepper pasta includes an easy “sauce” made from puréed roasted red peppers and heavy cream.

The sauce is nice and flavorful because it’s cooked in one pot with Italian sausage, aromatics such as onions and garlic, and the starches released from the pasta create a wonderful silkiness as well.

What goes well with red pepper?

This red pepper pasta has amazing layers of flavor. The kick of heat in the spicy Italian sausage is the perfect compliment to the sweetness of the roasted red bell pepper, and the onions and garlic create great depth of flavor.

Mushrooms and spinach add nutrition, texture and color as well, and a spash of cream makes it nice and luxurious.

Serving suggestions

This sausage red pepper pasta recipe is great served a number of ways.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: Purée the roasted red peppers in advance to make this meal go even more quickly!
  • Mild Italian sausage may be used to control the heat, or use your favorite ground meat.
  • Store leftover red pepper pasta in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • This recipe is easily doubled to feed a crowd.
Plate of creamy red pepper pasta with glass of wine

More one pot pasta recipes:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Skillet of creamy red pepper pasta with wooden spoon

One Pot Creamy Sausage Red Pepper Pasta

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Additional Time: 0 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
One Pot Creamy Sausage Red Pepper Pasta is packed with tender penne, spicy Italian sausage, veggies and a flavorful red pepper sauce. It's an easy dinner that's ready in about 30 minutes!
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. spicy pork sausage casings removed*
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 16 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 16 ounces roasted red peppers drained well
  • 8 ounces dry penne pasta sub with your favorite pasta
  • 3 3/4 cups water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions 

  • In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and break up into bite sized chunks with the back of a wooden spoon. Saute until browned and no longer pink, and transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon and set aside. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the grease.
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 lb. spicy pork sausage
  • Cook the onion, mushrooms, and garlic in the remaining 1 tablespoon of grease until the onion has softened and the mushrooms have browned and liquid has evaporated, about 5-6 minutes.
    1 medium yellow onion, 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, 2 cloves garlic
  • While the vegetables are cooking, puree the roasted red peppers in a food processor until smooth.
    16 ounces roasted red peppers
  • Add the puréed roasted red peppers to the vegetables along with the pork, pasta, water and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat slightly. Cook until the pasta has absorbed most of the liquid, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking.
    3 3/4 cups water, 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Add the spinach and cook just until wilted and the pasta is al dente. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and serve with freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy!
    5 ounces baby spinach, Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Notes

  • Pro tip: Purée the roasted red peppers in advance to make this meal go even more quickly!
  • Mild Italian sausage may be used to control the heat, or use your favorite ground meat.
  • Store leftover red pepper pasta in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • This recipe is easily doubled to feed a crowd.

Nutrition

Calories: 504kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 1557mg, Potassium: 894mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2957IU, Vitamin C: 44mg, Calcium: 106mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
Keyword: roasted red pepper pasta
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This post was originally published in November 2016. The text has been modified to include more recipe information and to improve readability.

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