There was a restaurant in town that has the most amazing and delicious sausage and pepper penne pasta dish! I’d go as often as I could, but it was getting to be an expensive habit and then they changed ownership and it was no longer on the menu. I wandered if it was something I could make myself.
We started experimenting at home and one thing led to another and we made it! Since then I have been perfecting the dish, but I just never got around to putting it on my blog, until now.
This is a very diverse recipe. You can use all sorts of different veggies; grape tomatoes, mushrooms, different colored bell peppers, or even sweet Italian peppers. There all sorts of options. Have fun with it!
The cream acts as a neutralizer for the acid in the marinara sauce. If you don’t want to use a lot, you don’t have to. You can use as much or as little as you’d like. However, I would recommend at least some because it does add to the creamy experience when you eat the dish.
Sausage Penne Pasta
2 Tbs EVOO
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
3-4 italian sausage links, mild or spicy or a mix
2 garlic cloves, minced
24 oz marinara sauce, homemade or jarred
½ to 1c heavy cream, depending on how much cream you like
1 ½ c dry pasta, I prefer penne but others work too
¼ c fresh chopped parsley
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package. Strain them and set them aside.
Heat a large saute pan to med-high. Add 1Tbs EVOO and warm it but not to smoking. Add the veggies and let them sear and soften for a few minutes. When the onions become translucent and the peppers soften, remove them from the pan and add the rest of the EVOO. Remove the sausages from their casings and once the oil is heated but not smoking add it to the pan. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the garlic to the meat and let it cook for another minute. Then add the veggies back into the pan.
Add the marinara slowly, using the liquid to help scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan. That’s where so much flavor is. Add the rest of the sauce and then add the heavy cream. Start with ½ cup and then add more as needed. Once the sauce starts to bubble, turn it down to a simmer and add the noodles. Stir to combine and then put a lid on the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes. Stir it once more and it’s ready to serve. Add some fresh chopped parsley to the top of the dish for garnish.
