Sausage and Peppers Pasta With Broccoli

By Kay Chun

Sausage and Peppers Pasta With Broccoli
Con Poulos. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(6,651)
Comments
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The classic Italian combination of sausage and peppers creates a satisfying and easy weeknight meal when combined with pasta. Broccoli is a fantastic nutritious addition that adds texture and cooks up quickly, or you can opt for broccolini or broccoli rabe if you want a more assertive vegetable. Sweet Italian pork sausage is used here, but there's no need to feel tied to the recipe: Substitute with spicy Italian sausage for extra heat, use chicken-apple sausage for a healthier take, or swap in fresh chorizo or breakfast sausage to turn this dinner into brunch.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casings removed
  • 1pound broccoli, cut into 1½-inch florets (about 4 cups)
  • 2medium yellow bell peppers (12 ounces), cored, seeded and thinly sliced (about 2½ cups)
  • 3cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • 1pound rigatoni
  • ½cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more for serving
  • 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

982 calories; 47 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 99 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 1052 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat using a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the broccoli, peppers and garlic to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until they soften and begin to brown, about 8 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain the pasta. Return the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pot over low heat. Add the broccoli mixture, cooked sausage and its accumulated juices, ½ cup Parmesan, the lemon juice and red-pepper flakes and stir vigorously until liquid is slightly thickened and saucy, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  3. Step 3

    Serve the pasta with additional Parmesan for sprinkling on top.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
6,651 user ratings
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Comments

Cindy

Easy & tasty. I've made it twice. Once with sliced sausage in the casing, once by removing the casings (preferred). I also used Rigatoni once & Penne once. My suggestion, without really making any changes to ingredients, is to either double everything except the pasta & pepper flakes OR make as listed but only use half the box of pasta. I found that the pasta to ingredient ratio is way off, too much pasta & too little "stuff". I'd increase the broccoli in either case. Mushrooms would be good.

Domestic Diva

I’ve made a version of this for my family for years! I use red/yellow/green peppers sliced long ways then sear slightly in a bit of hot olive oil, Add whole or halved fresh mushrooms, al dente broccoli florets, fresh garlic and sliced sweet (or red!) onions. (I occasionally will add hot Italian sausage which I cook separately but not all the time and I rarely add pasta - don’t need the carbs.) I sprinkle chunks of goat cheese towards the end of the cooking process & it’s delicious!

Bryan

I've been making this simple thing the wrong way for years. Surprised, but it got great reviews from my guests Who would have guessed you could make this without onion? Added some sliced mushrooms.

ChampyPDX

My husband deemed this dish “restaurant quality”—and I agree. I followed other comments and used only 8 oz of rigatoni and added a glug of white wine in the final 2 minutes. Delicious!

Chelsea

This is a wonderful and easy weeknight dish! I double the veggies, add mushrooms, roast the broccoli in the oven, and add a cup of crème fraiche. I just adjust the water so it isn’t too runny. The broccoli soaks it up nicely and the whole family enjoys it.

Laminy

I agree with the many other wise cooks here who noted that the pasta to everything-else ratio is way off. I didn’t love this. I made the possibly wrong choice of using chicken apple sausage; I was worried about the sweetness profile and I was right. Aside from that, though, this just didn’t do it for me. If I made it again, I’d do a lot of things differently: roast the broccoli first and add just at the end; use a long pasta instead of short; possibly add some diced tomatoes and/or tomato paste… but then it wouldn’t be this recipe anymore.

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