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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.
Well let me just add one thing, there is no such thing as Cooking Wine, that will only ruin anything you use it on, loaded with Sodium, Please use Wine that you will Drink. If you don’t believe me, just taste the so called cooking wine, and judge for yourself! I can’t believe someone who Cooks would even suggest using something that will only Ruin any meal you add it Too !
Chef, if you decide to write a cookbook, I hope you get a good editor. Your random capitilization reminds me of someone else who loves nasty replies.
Simple recipe with mostly pantry items and end of summer locally grown peppers. I threw in a jalapeño as well.
Thank you so much Lisalen! I love the addition of the jalapeno for some kick!
Didn’t love the tomato flavor in this recipe, maybe less tomato paste.
Thank you for the feedback! You can definitely reduce the tomato paste if you would like!
Came here after making this recipe for years. I gave it to both my sisters as well and it is a staple in our household. The sauce is so easy and delicious! This is one of my back pocket recipes bc it is so easy, doesn’t require a lot of babysitting and it reheats well for work lunches.
10/10 recommend
Thank you so much Jessica! This is great feedback!
My family really enjoyed this recipe. Paired it with drop biscuits and a salad. Perfect.
I’m so glad you guys love it!!
Can this be made in an instant pot?
It can, the only advice I would have would be to use less liquid than the recipe calls for. The Instant Pot will not lose liquid like the skillet will. Good luck! Let me know how it turns out!!
I have made this multiple times and it is so delicious! I’m thinking about making this for a dinner party. Do you think I could make the sauce an hour or so ahead of time and keep warm either on the stove or in a slow cooker? That way I’m not tied to the stove when guests arrive.
Yes absolutely! On low on the stove top or low in the slow cooker should work great.
I have made this twice and love it. I do use a pound of pasta and double all the sauce ingredients except the water to feed my family.
Thank you for the tip on feeding a bigger crowd! So glad you enjoy it!
This is a great recipe–BUT can it be frozen??
Yes absolutely! We like to leave the pasta out if we are freezing it and cook the pasta fresh when we serve it.
This is not a one pot dish because you need to boil pasta separately. Little bit disappointed.
You can totally boil it first in this pan and then set it aside.