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If you’re looking for a fast, flavor-packed dinner the whole family devours, this Skillet Italian Sausage and Peppers Whole Wheat Penne is exactly what you need. It has everything I love in a weeknight meal…simple ingredients, bold Italian flavor, and only one pan to wash.
I love Italian sausage recipes! This skillet sausage pasta is cozy, satisfying, and unbelievably easy, which is probably why it’s been a reader favorite for years.
When I need to get dinner on the table quickly, this is one of my go-to recipes. All you need is one pan and 30 minutes!
Table of Contents
- Reasons You Will Love This Italian Sausage Dinner
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- What is Italian Sausage?
- What Italian Sausage is Best in Pasta?
- Can Italian Sausage Be a Little Pink?
- How to Make Sausage and Penne Pasta
- Storing and Reheating
- Quick PASTA Dinner Recipes
- Watch How This Recipe is Made…
- Italian Sausage and Peppers Penne Recipe
This one pan pasta is a family favorite for us! And it’s weird to say that because I have picky eaters (they are SO much better than they used to be), and usually peppers and onions aren’t on the “yes list” for picky eaters, but in this recipe, they just work! The flavor is bold, and everyone loves sausage and pasta!
Reasons You Will Love This Italian Sausage Dinner
- Easy: The ingredients are simple and easy to find. The recipe is made in one pot so cleanup is easy. The only techniques you need to know are slicing, sauteing and simmering. Nothing fancy here!
- Quick: I live for dinner recipes that come together in less than a half hour!
- Flavor: By sauteing the sausage in the pan first, it flavors the whole dish. The peppers and onions get flavored by the sausage and add their own flavors and then the tomato pasta and sauce with the Italian seasoning and red wine add all the flavor you need.
- Well rounded: This dish includes veggies, protein and carbs all in one pan so you don’t even need sides if you don’t want them.
- Inexpensive: All of the ingredients are cheap making this recipe very budget friendly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Most of the ingredients in this dish are pantry staples, so all you will need at the grocery store are some sausage links, a couple of peppers and an onion. Here is a list of what you will need:
- Whole-wheat Penne Pasta: Provides hearty texture and whole-grain flavor and absorbs the sauce well.
- Italian Sausage: Adds rich, savory protein and seasons the entire dish with its herbs and spices.
- Green and Red Peppers: Bring sweetness, color, and freshness that balance the sausage.
- Yellow Onion: Adds aromatic sweetness and depth as it cooks down.
- Red Wine (cooking wine): Deglazes the pan, lifts browned bits, and gives the sauce a deeper, richer flavor. We don’t drink alcohol so we cook with cooking wine, but feel free to use whichever you prefer
- Tomato Paste: Thickens the sauce and adds concentrated tomato richness.
- Tomato Sauce: Creates the base of the sauce and helps bind all ingredients together.
- Water: Balances the concentrated tomato ingredients and helps the pasta absorb flavor.
- Italian Seasoning: Enhances the classic Italian flavor profile with herbs.
- Sugar: Softens the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the sauce.
- Salt: Brings out the flavors of the peppers, sausage, and sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese: Adds salty, nutty richness and finishes the dish with classic Italian flair.
What is Italian Sausage?
Italian sausage most often refers to a style of pork sausage that is seasoned with fennel.
What Italian Sausage is Best in Pasta?
Italian sausage and peppers are sautéed and then simmered in the rich sauce and tossed with cooked whole-wheat penne pasta. I like to use a mild Italian sausage, but you could use a sweet or spicy pork sausage, or even a turkey or chicken Italian sausage would work great if you’re really watching your calories.
Can Italian Sausage Be a Little Pink?
It’s ok to be a little pink in the middle but it shouldn’t look raw. If you’ve cooked it for the time & method it says on the packet it should be alright.
How to Make Sausage and Penne Pasta
- Cook the Pasta: Add the pasta to a large pot of salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve the starchy pasta water to use later.
- Brown: Heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausages on all sides. Once mostly cooked through, cut into ¼ inch slices and set aside.
- Sauté: Add a little more olive oil to the skillet and sauté the peppers and onions until they are tender (about 5 minutes).
- Deglaze: Add the sausage slices back to the pan and the cooking wine to deglaze the pan.
- Simmer: Add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce and stir to combine. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Combine: Add the cooked penne to the skillet and toss it in the sauce. Use a little of the reserved pasta water if you need to loosen the sauce up a little.
- Serve: Season with a little salt and pepper to taste and garnish with grated parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!
Storing and Reheating
Leftover sausage and pepper pasta should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4-5 days.
To reheat a single serving, I like to just zap it in the microwave. If I’m going to reheat multiple servings, it is best to reheat it on the stove top. Add a little water or beef broth as it warms up to keep it from drying out.
This Italian sausage pasta is one of those recipes that works on even the busiest nights with simple ingredients, big flavor, and minimal cleanup. If your family is anything like ours, it’ll quickly become part of your regular rotation. Make it once, and you’ll know exactly why readers keep coming back to this easy, comforting pasta!
Quick PASTA Dinner Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Artichoke Pasta
- 20 Minute Pesto Pasta
- Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- 20 Minute Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Hamburger Helper
- Crispy Pancetta Ravioli
- 20 Minute Cherry Tomato and Angel Hair Pasta
Watch How This Recipe is Made…
Italian Sausage and Peppers Penne
Ingredients
- 12 Ounces Whole-Wheat Penne Pasta
- 1 Pound Italian Sausage Links, 1 package
- 1 Small Green Pepper, sliced
- 1 Small Red Pepper, sliced
- 1 Small Yellow Onion, sliced thin
- ½ Cup Red Wine, we use cooking red wine
- 6 Ounces Tomato Paste
- 8 Ounces Tomato Sauce
- 12 Ounces Water
- ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- Parmesan Cheese, for finishing
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve starchy cooking water.12 Ounces Whole-Wheat Penne Pasta
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat.
- Brown sausages on all sides, until almost cooked through, remove and cut into ¼ inch slices. You don’t have to worry about cooking them all the way through, they will finish cooking while the sauce simmers.1 Pound Italian Sausage Links
- In the same pan drizzle another teaspoon or so of olive oil and sauté the peppers and onions until slightly softened, about five minutes.1 Small Green Pepper, 1 Small Red Pepper, 1 Small Yellow Onion
- Return sausage back to the pan and deglaze with red wine.½ Cup Red Wine
- Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, sugar and salt. Stir to combine.6 Ounces Tomato Paste, 8 Ounces Tomato Sauce, 12 Ounces Water, ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon Sugar, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for ten minutes.
- Add penne to the skillet, toss with sauce. If needed add starchy pasta water to loosen the sauce up.
- Season with salt and pepper and garnish with grated parmesan cheese.Parmesan Cheese
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just stopping in to say this has been a family favorite for a couple of years now. So easy and delicious! Thanks so much for sharing it with us.
This is what we love to hear!! Thank you Heather and you’re welcome!
I’ve never used a red cooking wine. What should I look for? And is there a substitute for it? The recipe looks like it would be delicious.
Hi Pat! The cooking wine is by the vinegar. If drink alcohol, you can use regular alcohol just use 1 1/2 times the amount. Cooking wine is common though so if you look by the vinegar, you will find it! Enjoy!
I am part Italian and this looks very good. I hope I can make it one day. I have made sweet Italian peppers left whole, green peppers sliced kind of thin in strips, thinly sliced white or yellow onion, worcestershire sauce and a little butter. We enjoy that so I know we will enjoy yours.
This may be a silly question, but how much water do you add when combining all sauce ingredients?
Don’t have any peppers, so am substituting carrots and a head of broccoli, cut up.Don’t drink red wine, so using water. Other than that, am following the recipe to a “t”.
Let us know how it goes! We don’t drink wine either but we will sometimes do water with a little balsamic vinegar. yummy!
I made this last night! It was awesome!! The wine I used was a red Malbec.
Its definitely a keeper!!!
The only thing I did different was I use brown sugar in my pasta sauce. Not quite as sweet as white sugar.
Thanks for sharing. We absolutely loved the sauce.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Made this tonight for company using half and half, hot and sweet turkey sausage. It was a big hit. Next time I will add some garlic with the onions and peppers. Thanks for a great recipe.
How did you use the half and half?
Thanks Gail!
On Step 4 I added a tsp of minced garlic, zucchini and at the last minute of sauteing I added crimini mushrooms. I”m obsessed with feeding lots of veggies with dinner and this made a wonderful addition.
I think that sounds like a fantastic addition!
can this dish be cooked then frozen to be eaten at a later date? I am trying to prepare meals for the month in advance.
Absolutely, though we prefer to wait to add the pasta until serving.
I have made this a bunch of times and making it again tonite. Everyone here loves it . Sometimes I add fresh spinich when it’s almost ready. This and a loaf of fresh garlic bread makes a great dinner. Thanks for the recipe
What a great idea to throw in the fresh spinach!