Let me start by saying, we have a deep love for Italian sausage. It’s one of our favorite meats to cook with because it’s already packed full of herbs and spices, so it adds a ton of flavor to any dish! Not only does it taste great, but it also works well in several recipes including pasta recipes, soups, stews, and sheet pan meals. There’s also different varieties of Italian sausage including turkey and pork Italian sausage, and spicy, mild, or sweet Italian sausage. So today we’ve rounded up some of our absolute favorite Italian Sausage recipes for you to dive into. And definitely bookmark this page for the next time you’re craving a super flavorful comfort food recipe!😊
I had to kick off this list with these delicious and irresistible Stuffed Bell Peppers! The Italian sausage gives them an extra boost of flavor and they’re perfectly portioned for meal prep!
Zuppa Toscana is a creamy, super flavorful, potato soup loaded with Italian sausage, kale, and white beans. It goes perfectly with some homemade garlic bread to soak up all of that goodness!
I’m all about baked casserole recipes and this Easy Baked Ziti does not disappoint! It’s rich and gooey and made with a homemade red sauce with Italian sausage. It’s total comfort in a bowl!
If you love a good one pot meal then you’ve got to add this One Pot Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta to your list. It’s veggies, pasta, Italian sausage, and lots of flavor all in one pan! #winning
When it comes to comfort food, it doesn’t get much better than a deep dish serving of cheesy Homemade Lasagna. This easy lasagna recipe is the ultimate crowd-pleasing food and is perfect for potlucks and Sunday dinners.
Take your spaghetti night up a notch with these easy Homemade Meatballs. I promise they’re not difficult and worth the few extra minutes of prep! Plus, you can freeze some for later.
Yes – Baked Spaghetti, because why not? It turns the traditional spaghetti recipe into this delicious casserole topped with a gooey layer of melted cheese. Trust me, it’s worth the extra effort.
This Baked Ravioli is a truly easy comfort food that takes next to no planning. It’s simply layers of ravioli layered with a rich Italian sausage meat sauce, then topped with cheese and baked to perfection.
One of our fan-favorite recipes, this Lentil and Sausage Stew is an absolute classic with a double dose of protein – thanks to the lentils! We suggest making a big batch so you will have leftovers to tuck away in the fridge or freezer.
This hearty Italian Sausage Meatballs and Kale Sheet Pan Meal is chock full of deep, tangy flavors and succulent textures! It's perfect for those days when you don't feel like cooking.
This easy, one-skillet Sweet Potato Hash is the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and hearty ingredients. It’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Spice up your weekend breakfast with this easy one-skillet Sweet Potato Hash. Made with a simple combination of sweet potatoes, breakfast sausage, peppers, and onions, it includes the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and hearty ingredients. Breakfast potato hash happens to be one of my favorite meals to order at a local brunch spot in town, so I loved recreating a version for Budget Bytes. This sweet potato hash recipe is super versatile so you can easily mix and match some of the ingredients with what you have in your fridge, it comes in at under a dollar per serving, and it’s great for meal prepping!
What Is Sweet Potato Hash
Sweet potato hash is a hearty, skillet meal that’s made with diced sweet potatoes, vegetables like peppers and onions, and often some type of protein, like sausage or bacon. It’s a great all-in-one meal that’s easy to whip up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And because it’s so versatile the toppings and variations are endless!
Ingredients For Sweet Potato Hash
Eight ingredients is all you need to make this colorful and flavorful Sweet Potato Hash. We kept things pretty simple so here’s what we used:
Sweet Potatoes: We’re using sweet potatoes for our breakfast hash simply because we like the combination of slightly sweet, mixed with savory flavors. But you can certainly use a different potato, like russet potatoes, instead. The total cook time will vary depending on which type of potato you use.
Breakfast Sausage: You can use any kind of breakfast sausage for this recipe. We opted for a regular mild sausage, but feel free to use a hot sausage, turkey sausage, or even an apple maple sausage would be really good!
Bell Pepper and Onion: I love the combination of peppers and onions in savory recipes. They both add the perfect amount of flavor and texture to this dish. But you don’t have to stop here, if you have some extra veggies hanging out in the fridge like spinach or mushrooms feel free to add those too! This recipe is very versatile.
Seasoning: Smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper compliment the sweetness of the sweet potatoes perfectly. The rest of the spices comes from the breakfast sausage giving this breakfast skillet hash lots of flavor!
Topping Ideas
Customize it! There are so many fun & tasty toppings you can add to your sweet potato hash to give it even more depth and flavor. Here are a few suggestions:
Fried, scrambled, or soft-boiled egg
Fresh avocado
Fresh parsley or sliced green onions
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Sriracha
Red pepper flakes
Storing & Reheating
If you happen to have any leftovers or if you just want to meal prep your breakfast for a few days, this sweet potato hash stores very well in the fridge. Just store the leftovers, minus the egg, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy just reheat the hash in a skillet over the stovetop or in the microwave, then if desired, top with a fresh fried egg! Breakfast is served!
This easy, one-skillet Sweet Potato Hash is the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and hearty ingredients. It's great for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Wash, peel, and dice the sweet potatoes. Dice the onion and the red bell pepper. Set the vegetables to the side.
In a large non-stick skillet, crumble the breakfast sausage and cook over medium heat. Cook the sausage until it’s almost completely browned. Add the diced onion and continue cooking until the onion is translucent and the sausage is fully browned. Remove the sausage and onions to a separate plate and set it to the side.
In the same skillet, add the cooking oil and the diced sweet potatoes. Cook the sweet potatoes over medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally but not too often so the sweet potatoes have a chance to brown and caramelize. Don’t worry if the sweet potatoes are not fork tender during this time as they will continue to cook in the next step.
Now add the diced red bell pepper, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir together with the sweet potatoes. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are now fork tender.
Add the cooked sausage and onions back to the skillet and combine with the sweet potatoes and peppers. Cook for 1-2 more minutes to allow the sausage to reheat with the rest of the hash.
Serve this sweet potato hash with fresh parsley, sliced avocado, or any of your favorite toppings!
How to Make Sweet Potato Hash – Step by Step Photos
Wash, peel, and dice 1 1/2 lbs. of sweet potatoes. Dice one onion and one red bell pepper. Set the vegetables to the side.
In a large skillet, crumble 8 oz. of breakfast sausage and cook over medium heat. Cook the sausage until it’s almost completely browned. Add the diced onion and continue cooking until the onion is translucent and the sausage is fully browned.
Remove the cooked sausage and onions to a separate plate and set it to the side.
In the same skillet, add 1/2 Tbsp of cooking oil and the diced sweet potatoes. Cook the sweet potatoes over medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally but not too often so the sweet potatoes have a chance to brown and caramelize. Don’t worry if the sweet potatoes are not fork tender at this point as they will continue to cook in the next step.
Add the diced red bell pepper, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika to the skillet. Stir together with the sweet potatoes until combined. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Add the cooked sausage and onions back to the skillet and combine with the sweet potatoes and peppers.
Cook for 1-2 more minutes to allow the sausage to reheat with the rest of the hash.
And that’s it! Breakfast (lunch or dinner) is served. Serve this sweet potato hash with fresh parsley, sliced avocado, and any of your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Chicken noodle soup is great and all, but have you tried Italian Wedding Soup?? This classic soup shares a lot of the same cozy ingredients as chicken noodle soup, but with one huge advantage: tender and flavorful homemade meatballs! The meatballs are packed with herbs and spices that flavor the soup and make this Italian Wedding Soup recipe extra special. So if you want to change up your winter soup game, give this Italian Wedding Soup a try! I think you’re really going to like it.
What Is Italian Wedding Soup?
This hearty soup is a combination of vegetables, greens, meatballs, and pasta all simmered in chicken broth to make an incredibly flavorful and filling soup. And, contrary to how it may sound, Italian Wedding Soup is not named so because it’s typically served at weddings. The name is actually a mistranslation of its Italian name, minestra maritata, which translates directly to “marriage soup,” referring to the marriage of ingredients in the soup.
There’s also some disagreement over whether this dish originated in Italy or Spain, as it is popular in both regions of the world. As with most dishes that have been around for generations, there are many different variations, and today we’re making my interpretation based on what I have available, but if you’d like to make an authentic Italian Wedding Soup, check out this version from The Kitchen Whisperer.
Ingredients for Italian Wedding Soup
Here’s what you’ll need to make a big cozy pot of Italian Wedding Soup:
Vegetables: This soup starts with a classic mix of soup vegetables like onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Later I add in some fresh spinach, although traditional Italian wedding soup usually uses escarole as the green element.
Chicken Broth: Chicken broth makes up the bulk of this soup, so make sure you’re using a good quality broth or stock that has a lot of flavor. We like to use Better Than Bouillon to make broth because it’s inexpensive and has tons of flavor.
Pasta: You can use any small-shaped pasta here. We had some leftover pearl couscous in the studio that I wanted to use up, so I used that, but you could also use acini de pepe (very similar to large pearl couscous), orzo, ditalini, pastina, or any other tiny-shaped pasta.
Italian Sausage: I use Italian sausage as the base for my meatballs because it’s already pre-seasoned and makes every meatball super flavorful.
Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs help bind the meatballs and keep them moist and tender.
Egg: Egg combines with the breadcrumbs to act as a binder for the meatballs.
Parmesan: Parmesan gives extra umami and flavor to the meatballs.
Seasoning: To keep things simple, we season both the meatballs and soup with a pre-made Italian seasoning blend, plus a little extra salt and pepper as needed!
What Else Can I Add?
If you want to “soup up” your Italian Wedding Soup and take it to the next level, try adding a few Parmesan rinds to the soup as it simmers for extra umami in the broth, or top each bowl with a heaping dose of freshly grated Parmesan. Use homemade chicken stock for the broth to make this soup extra special, or you can also experiment with thickening the broth with a whisked egg. One final twist that I love doing with a lot of soups is adding a squeeze of fresh lemon at the end to brighten it all up!
How to Cook the Meatballs
You have a few options when it comes to cooking the meatballs for this soup. The easiest method, and the method that I think creates the juiciest meatballs, is to simply add the raw meatballs to the simmering soup and allow them to simmer in the liquid until cooked through (about 10-15 min.).
The only drawback to boiling the meatballs in the soup is that this method does not create any pretty browned color on the surface of the meatballs. If the appearance of the meatballs is important to you, you can sauté the meatballs in a hot skillet with some butter until browned on the outside, then add them to the soup and simmer until cooked through.
Begin by making the meatballs. Combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Add the Italian sausage, breadcrumb mixture, and egg to a large bowl and use your hands to mix them together until evenly combined. Divide and shape the mixture into 32 small meatballs, about 1 Tbsp each. Set the meatballs aside.
Finely dice the onion, carrots, and celery, and mince the garlic. Add the olive oil to a large soup pot and heat over medium. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft. Add the carrot and celery and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or until the celery begins to soften.
Add the Italian seasoning and chicken broth to the soup, stir to combine, then place a lid on top and bring it up to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, add the meatballs to the soup and continue to boil until the meatballs are cooked through (about 10 minutes). Or, if you prefer browned meatballs, you can cook them in a skillet with butter first over medium heat until browned on the outside, then transfer to the boiling soup to finish cooking.
Add the pasta to the soup and continue to boil until the pasta is tender (about 7 minutes).
Finally, stir in the fresh spinach until wilted. Give the soup a taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Serve hot and enjoy!
*Use any very small-shaped pasta like acini de pepe, pearl couscous, orzo, ditalini, pastina, or any other tiny-shaped pasta. If using a slightly larger pasta, you may want to increase the quantity to one cup.
How to Make Italian Wedding Soup – Step by Step Photos
Prepare the meatballs first. In a bowl, combine ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs, ¼ grated Parmesan cheese, ½ tsp Italian seasoning, ⅛ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper.
Add one pound of ground Italian sausage (hot, sweet, or mild) to a large bowl along with the breadcrumb mixture, and one large egg. Use your hands to mix these ingredients until evenly combined.
Divide and shape the mixture into 32 small meatballs, about 1 Tbsp each. Set the meatballs aside.
Chop one yellow onion, finely dice three stalks of celery and three carrots, and mince two cloves of garlic
Add the onion and garlic to a large soup pot with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft. Add the carrot and celery and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or just until the celery begins to soften. Add one tsp of Italian seasoning and six cups of chicken broth, then stir to combine. Place a lid on top and allow the soup to come up to a boil.
Add the meatballs to the boiling soup and boil for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Or, if you want browned meatballs, melt a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the meatballs and brown them on each side. It’s okay if they’re not cooked through, you can add them to the simmering soup to finish cooking.
Make sure the soup is still boiling, then add ½ cup of a tiny-shaped pasta like acini de pepe, pearled couscous, ditalini, pastina, or orzo. Simmer the pasta in the soup until tender (about 7 minutes).
Finally, add about 4 cups of fresh spinach to the soup and stir it in until wilted (this should only take about a minute).
Give the soup a final taste and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking.
Serve hot and enjoy every cozy and hearty spoonful!
One of the best go-to weeknight dinners is hands down a sheet pan meal. They’re easy to prep, everything cooks on one pan, and dinner is ready in hardly any time! This Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner includes a variety of vegetables and can be customized to your liking. Simply toss your vegetables and chicken sausage with a little bit of olive oil and spices and roast in the oven until the veggies are tender and the sausage has nice browned edges. Dinner simply doesn’t get much easier than this!
Ingredients You’ll Need
This Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Meal is made with simple, basic ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
Chicken Sausage – Fully-cooked chicken sausage usually comes in 4-5 individual sausage links. I like using a chicken & apple flavored sausage, but choose one that your family will enjoy.
Vegetables – For the vegetables we used a combination of red bell pepper, red onion, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. But you can easily substitute some of the veggies based on what you have in your pantry or fridge. I’ll share a few suggestions below.
Oil and Spices – Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano add a simple, but flavorful seasoning to this sausage and veggies sheet pan meal.
Can I Use A Different Type Of Sausage?
Sure! You can use any type of smoked sausage for this recipe. I just so happen to love chicken sausage, but beef, pork, turkey, or even kielbasa sausage would work just fine. Just make sure you are getting fully-cooked sausage links.
Can I use Different Vegetables?
Absolutely! As I mentioned above, this recipe is very flexible and easy to customize. Feel free to switch out the sweet potatoes for Yukon gold or russet potatoes, you can use Brussels sprouts or zucchini instead of broccoli, and you can use different color bell peppers. Just make sure the vegetables are cut roughly the same size so they cook at the same pace as everything else.
Storing & Reheating
This sheet pan chicken sausage dinner is great for meal prep! Just store any leftover sausage and veggies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F until warmed through.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a cutting board, slice the chicken sausage into medallions on a diagonal. Chop the bell pepper into 1-inch chunks. Slice the onion into ½-inch slices. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Wash, peel, and dice the sweet potato into ¾-inch cubes.
Add the sliced chicken sausage and chopped vegetables to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Toss sausage and veggies well making sure all of the ingredients are evenly coated with oil and spices.
Spread the chicken sausage and vegetables onto a parchment lined baking sheet in an even single layer.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, then give the ingredients on the sheet pan a good stir. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes or until sausage and veggies are browned on the edges.
Garnish with chopped parsley (optional), serve hot and enjoy!
How To Make Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage Dinner – Step By Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Gather 12 oz of chicken sausage (4 sausage links), 1 red bell pepper, 1 small red onion (or ½ large red onion), 1 head of broccoli, and 1 sweet potato (about ½ lb.) to prep.
On a cutting board, slice the chicken sausage into medallions on a diagonal. Chop the bell pepper into 1-inch chunks. Slice the onion into ½-inch slices. Cut the broccoli into small florets. Wash, peel, and dice the sweet potato into ¾-inch cubes.
Add the sliced chicken sausage and chopped vegetables to a large bowl. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp olive oil and season with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, and 1 ½ tsp dried oregano. Toss sausage and veggies well making sure all of the ingredients are evenly coated with oil and spices.
Spread the chicken sausage and vegetables onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in an even layer.
Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, then give the ingredients on the sheet pan a good stir. Place the baking sheet back in the oven and roast for another 15 minutes or until sausage and veggies are browned on the edges.
That’s it! A super easy sheet pan dinner meal all cooked on one pan! I had actually planned to make a sauce to drizzle over the top, but when I tasted the roasted veggies with the sausage I thought it was absolutely delicious without any extra dressings. Garnish with chopped parsley (optional), serve hot and enjoy!
Stuffed Bell Peppers have been a huge favorite of mine since my aunt first made them for me many many years ago. At the time it seemed like such an elaborate, fancy recipe, but who knew they were really this simple to make! It’s a classic comfort food recipe that’s hearty, filling, easy to customize, and can feed a large family. Plus the flavors in this version are incredibly delicious! So much so that we’re still talking about it over a month later! ;)
What’s in Stuffed Bell Peppers?
There are several versions of stuffed bell peppers out there and most usually include ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and cheese. I got a little creative with this recipe as I wanted it to be simple to make, but still have tons of flavor! Here’s what you’ll need:
Bell Peppers: I used different colors of bell peppers because I love how colorful and vibrant they look, but if you’re working with a tight budget you can certainly just use all green bell peppers instead.
Italian Sausage: Italian sausage instead of ground beef for an extra boost of flavor. But you can use ground beef, ground turkey or even Italian turkey sausage if you like.
Onion and garlic: These two ingredients produce a great combination of aromatics to help flavor the sausage and rice.
Seasoning: A simple mix of Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder is all you’ll need. If you want an extra kick, you can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes too!
Marinara sauce: Instead of adding a can of tomatoes or tomato sauce, I used marinara sauce. It’s tomatoes with extra herbs & spices all in one…aka more flavor!
Long grain white rice: The rice helps bulk up the filling for the bell peppers. In this recipe the rice is cooked in the same skillet as the meat filling. It gives the rice a ton of flavor and let’s be honest…who wants to clean more dishes by cooking a separate pot of rice? Not me!
Chicken broth: Broth is used to help cook the rice and it provides even more flavor of course!
Shredded Mozzarella: And mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top for a gooey, tasty finish!
Should I cook the bell peppers first?
I definitely suggest par-cooking the bell peppers first, just a little bit before stuffing them. Not only does this help to soften the bell peppers, but it also cuts down on your cook time. As the bell peppers are cooking you can make the filling, shaving off about 20 minutes from your total cook time.
Budget Saving Tips!
Here are a few tips to help you stretch your money when making Stuffed Bell Peppers:
Use the green bell peppers! Although it makes for a colorful final dish when you use red, yellow or orange bell peppers, these colors often cost a little bit more. You can just buy all green bell peppers instead and save some coins.
Cut a 4th bell pepper in half and stretch the filling out to make 8 servings instead of 6. Trust me..we stuffed these bell peppers quite a bit, but you could totally stretch the filling if you wanted to.
If you want to just use 1/2 a pound of sausage, that works too! Just add an additional 1/2 cup of rice and 3/4 cup of broth to what is listed in the recipe below, to increase the filling and make up the difference.
Feel free to use ground beef instead if it’s cheaper than the Italian sausage at your local store. You may need to add a bit more seasoning to make up for the flavor you would get in the sausage though.
What to serve with Stuffed Bell Peppers
The filling inside each of these stuffed bell peppers are pretty hearty by themselves, but if you want to serve something with it on the side, they would also be great with a simple salad or some crusty garlic bread. If you want to double down on the veggies, you can also serve these with some roasted broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, or a side of simple sautéed vegetables.
Storing & Reheating
Got leftovers? No problem! These stuffed bell peppers hold up very well in the refrigerator stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave or the oven and the leftovers taste just as good the next day, making them perfect for meal prep!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wash and dry each bell pepper, then cut the bell peppers in half horizontally. Make sure to cut them as evenly as possible. Using a sharp paring knife carefully cut and remove the stem from the top half of each bell pepper (see picture below). It's okay if there is a small hole left where the stem was removed.
Place each bell pepper half in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Brush the bell peppers with 1 Tbsp oil and season with ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp cracked black pepper. Bake the bell peppers in a preheated oven for 20 minutes to soften. After 20 minutes remove the bell peppers from the oven and set aside.
While the bell peppers are baking, make the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of oil. Brown the Italian sausage.
Once the sausage has browned, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Next add the uncooked rice, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer, without lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest, without lifting the lid, for an additional 5 minutes.
Next remove the lid, fluff the rice, and stir the mixture again to redistribute the ingredients. Begin to fill each bell pepper with the meat filling. Stuff as much filling as you can into each, filling them all the way to the top.
Top each bell pepper evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese. Loosely place some tented aluminum foil over the top of the casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes the bell peppers should be tender but not mushy.
Now remove the foil and turn the heat on to broil. Broil the stuffed bell peppers for 2-3 minutes or just until the cheese gets a little brown on top. Be sure to watch the bell peppers closely at this step to prevent the cheese from over browning. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
How to Make STUFFED BELL PEPPERS – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350°F then wash and dry 3 bell peppers. Cut the bell peppers in half horizontally, yes horizontally. Most stuffed bell pepper recipes either keep the bell peppers whole or cut them vertically, but by cutting them horizontally you end up with a flatter bottom service and it’s easier to stuff. Trust me! Make sure to cut them as evenly as possible. Using a sharp pairing knife carefully cut and remove the stem from the top half of each bell pepper. It’s okay if there is a small hole left where the stem was removed.
Place each bell pepper half in a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Brush the bell peppers with 1 Tbsp cooking oil, divided between all 6 halves, and season with ¼ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp cracked black pepper, also divided between all 6 halves. Bake the bell peppers in a preheated oven for 20 minutes to soften. After 20 minutes remove them from the oven and set aside.
While the bell peppers are baking, make the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp of oil. Add 1 lb Italian sausage and cook until brown.
Once the sausage has browned, add the 1 diced yellow onion and 3 minced garlic cloves to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
Next add ½ cup uncooked white rice, 1 cup of marinara sauce, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp of salt, and ¾ cups chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine. Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the mixture to come to a full boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer, without lifting the lid or stirring, for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest, without lifting the lid, for an additional 5 minutes.
Next remove the lid, fluff the rice, and stir the mixture again to redistribute the ingredients. Begin to fill each bell pepper with the sausage and rice mixture. Stuff as much filling as you can into each, filling them all the way to the top.
Divide 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of each bell pepper evenly. Loosely place some tented aluminum foil over the top of the casserole dish and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, remove the foil and turn the heat to broil. Broil the stuffed bell peppers for 2-3 minutes or just until the cheese gets a little brown on top. Be sure to watch the bell peppers closely at this step to prevent the cheese from getting too brown. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
You know me, I love sausage. Especially smoked sausage. It’s packed with SO MUCH flavor that you barely have to do anything to make a delicious meal out of it. And that’s why these sausage kebabs are ridiculously easy, super tasty, and are the perfect summertime meal. They feel as splurgy as going out to eat, except way less expensive. 😉 And don’t worry, if you don’t have a grill, you can still make them using a grill pan or your oven’s broiler!
Ingredients for Sausage Kebabs
Okay, this recipe is so crazy easy, you’re going to love it! You only need to pick up a few simple ingredients at the store to make these awesome kebabs:
Smoked Sausage: the sausage is bringing most of the flavor to this party with its herbs and spices and deliciously smoky flavor. You can use any type of smoked sausage that you’d like. Pork sausage, beef sausage, turkey sausage, andouille sausage, kielbasa, whatever you like!
Vegetables: I like to go for a rainbow of color to make the kebabs visually enticing, but if you’re working with a very tight budget you can go with just green bell peppers and yellow onions. It’s still going to be delicious!
Oil and Spices: A simple mix of smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper gives everything on the kebabs a nice light coating of extra flavor. The oil helps the spices stick and keeps everything from drying out on the grill.
BBQ Sauce: A final slather of BBQ sauce gives the kebabs a sticky sweet and tangy coating that is just to-die-for! You can use any flavor BBQ sauce you’d like. I vote for a hickory smoke or spicy BBQ.
No Grill? No Problem.
These sausage kebabs are perfect for tossing onto a hot grill, but if you don’t have a grill you can still whip them up with no problem using your oven’s broiler or a grill pan on the stove top. The broiler on an oven is very similar to a grill in that it provides close range high heat. If you have a gas stove it’s even closer to being just like the open flame of a grill.
To use a broiler: Adjust the oven’s rack so that it is about 5-6 inches away from the broiler. Turn the broiler on to high. Place a wire cooling rack on a baking sheet, then place the kebabs on top of the wire rack. Transfer the kebabs to the oven and cook under the broiler, watching very closely, until they are slightly charred on top. Flip the kebabs and brush a light coating of BBQ sauce over the cooked side. Continue to cook, flip, and brush with BBQ sauce until all sides are charred, coated in BBQ sauce, and the sauce has caramelized slightly.
To use a grill pan: Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat. Make sure to allow the pan to fully pre-heat for about 10 minutes. Place the kebabs on the grill pan and cook until charred on one side. Flip the kebabs and brush a light coating of BBQ sauce over the cooked side. Continue to cook, flip, and brush with BBQ sauce until all sides are charred, coated in BBQ sauce, and the sauce has caramelized slightly.
Slice the sausage into ½-inch thick rounds. Chop the onions and bell peppers into 1-inch pieces.
Place the sausage and vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle the cooking oil over top. Combine the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the sausage and vegetables.
Toss the sausage and vegetables until well coated in oil and spices.
Build the kebabs by skewering the sausage and vegetables in an alternating sequence. You should get about eight kebabs, depending on the size of your skewers and vegetables.
Cook the kebabs over a hot grill, on a hot cast iron grill pan (preheated well over medium-high heat), or under your oven's broiler (about 5-6 inches from the broiler) until the kebabs are slightly charred on one side.
Flip the kebabs and continue to cook until charred on a second side. Brush a light coating of BBQ sauce over the side that has already been charred. Continue to cook, turn, and brush on BBQ sauce until the kebabs are charred on all sides and the BBQ sauce is slightly caramelized. Serve hot and enjoy!
Slice one 14oz. link of smoked sausage into ½-inch thick rounds. Chop one red onion, one green bell pepper, one yellow bell pepper, and one orange bell pepper into one-inch pieces. (You can use any color peppers or onions that fit your budget.)
Place the sausage and vegetables into a large bowl. Drizzle 2 Tbsp cooking oil over top. Combine 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper in a bowl, then sprinkle it over the sausage and vegetables.
Toss the sausage and vegetables until everything is evenly coated in oil and spices.
Build the kebabs by skewering the sausage and vegetables in an alternating pattern. You should get about 8 kebabs, depending on the length of your skewers and size of your vegetables.
Cook the kebabs on a grill, under your oven’s broiler, or on a hot grill pan until lightly charred on one side. Flip the kebabs and brush a light coating of BBQ sauce over the cooked side. Continue to cook, flip, and brush with BBQ sauce until all sides are charred, coated in BBQ sauce, and the sauce has caramelized slightly.
Serve hot and enjoy with your favorite summer sides!
This hearty Sausage Meatballs and Kale Sheet Pan Meal is chock full of deep, tangy flavors and succulent textures! It’s perfect for those days when you don’t feel like cooking. And if you’re at the point where you can’t bring yourself to make a meatball, just slice sausage in its casing to get this meal in the oven even faster. PS This sheet pan dinner meal preps excellently. Quick cooking, super filling, no fuss, and you can make it for the week! What’s not to love?
What You’ll Need
This Italian Sausage Meatball and Kale Sheet Pan Meal is quick, easy, and endlessly versatile! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
Italian Sausage– I use ground spicy Italian sausage but you can use sweet Italian or any of your favorite ground sausages, including plant-based ones. You can also remove the sausage from its casing or skip making meatballs altogether and just slice it in its casing. Fat adds flavor and delivers a tender meatball, so skip low-fat sausages or ground meats.
Milk– adds moisture to the sausage and helps create depth of flavor. If you are cooking dairy-free, try using almond milk or coconut milk. If you’re really watching your pennies, just use water.
PankoBreadcrumbs– add texture and keep the meatballs from drying out (after a soak in milk). You can substitute Panko with regular breadcrumbs or crushed crackers.
Egg – helps to bind the meatballs so they keep their shape. Substitute the egg with 3 tablespoons of plain yogurt, 1/4 ricotta cheese, or 1/3 cup of unsweetened apple sauce.
Kale– is hearty and can stand up to a high-heat roast. You can substitute it with other hearty greens like Collards or Swiss Chard.
Cherry Tomatoes– deepen in flavor when roasted, but feel free to sub with other fresh elements like bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions. In a pinch, used canned tomatoes. Just make sure to drain them and give them a rough chop.
Potatoes– add bulk to this easy meal and soak up all the flavors from the drippings—sub with sweet potatoes or other root vegetables like carrots, radishes, or parsnips.
Spices and Seasonings– smoked paprika, chili flakes, garlic powder, brown sugar, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil dress the veggies and greens in robust flavors.
Grated Parmesan Cheese– is the chef’s kiss in this dish. The cheese adds umami (AKA savoriness) and a touch of creamy saltiness. Omit it if you like, or substitute it with nutritional yeast.
Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days. If meal prepping, add fresh kale on top of the roasted ingredients to keep it from wilting. You can freeze in an airtight container for up to a month with a sheet of plastic or parchment on the surface to prevent frostbite. Thaw in your fridge overnight. You can eat leftovers cold or warm them in a microwave until steaming.
This hearty Italian Sausage Meatballs and Kale Sheet Pan Meal is chock full of deep, tangy flavors and succulent textures! It's perfect for those days when you don't feel like cooking.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place quartered red potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt, black pepper, and chili flakes. Sprinkle over the potatoes and toss. Place the potatoes in a sheet pan.
In the same bowl, add the cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Scatter them over the potatoes.
Soak the breadcrumbs in milk. Break up Italian sausage in a large bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs and egg. Wet your fingers with a bit of leftover oil from the bowl the tomatoes were in. Roll 16 meatballs and place them on the sheet pan between the potatoes and tomatoes.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes.
While the meatballs bake, add 1/2 lb of the kale to the same bowl the potatoes and tomatoes were in. Mix red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss the kale in the dressing, massaging it into the leaves.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and scatter kale all over.
Roast for 3 to 4 minutes until the kale has charred in spots. To serve, split raw kale between 4 bowls. Top with charred kale and tomatoes and mix. Finally, top with meatballs and potatoes. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
How to Make Sausage Meatballs And Kale Sheet Pan MeAL – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place 1 pound of quartered red potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil. Mix 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes. Sprinkle over the potatoes and toss. Place the potatoes in a sheet pan.
In the same bowl that you dressed the potatoes, add the sliced pint of cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Scatter them over the potatoes.
Soak the breadcrumbs in milk. Break up Italian sausage in a large bowl. Mix in breadcrumbs and egg. Wet your fingers with a bit of leftover oil from the bowl the tomatoes were in. Roll a 1-ounce meatball and place it on the sheet pan between the potatoes and tomatoes. Repeat with the remaining sausage until you have 16 meatballs.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes.
While the meatballs bake, add 1/2 pound of kale to the same bowl the potatoes and tomatoes were in. Mix 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss the kale in the dressing, massaging it into the leaves.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven, and scatter kale all over.
Roast for 3 to 4 minutes until the kale has wilted and charred in spots. To serve, split the 1/2 pound of leftover raw kale between 4 bowls. Top with charred kale and tomatoes and mix. Finally, top with meatballs and potatoes. Garnish with parmesan cheese and chow down!
I love ALL versions of lasagna, but some nights I don’t have the time or energy to make the fully layered real deal. On those nights, I make this super quick one-pot skillet lasagna that gives me all that cozy cheesy goodness in just about 30 minutes. Skillet lasagna has been a staple in my house for almost ten years, so I hope it becomes one of your regular go-to recipes, too!
Lasagna for Lazy Nights
This super simple skillet lasagna follows the same formula as my other one pot pasta recipes. The pasta, in this case, lasagna noodles, are cooked right in the sauce so you only need to use one pan and every drop of flavor soaks right into the pasta. I made this recipe as simple as possible, using all the shortcuts, so it’s the easiest to make when you’re the shortest on time.
What You’ll need
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy skillet lasagna:
Italian sausage: sausage is packed with herbs and spices which give flavor to the entire skillet without you having to add ten different herbs and spices.
Fresh garlic: because every recipe needs to start with fresh garlic. ;)
Pasta sauce: I used a store-bought sauce here just to make the recipe super quick and easy, but you could always make your own from scratch using our weeknight pasta sauce recipe (sub Italian sausage for the beef).
Italian seasoning: an extra dose of herbs and spices just for good measure! Using a pre-made blend cuts down on the number of ingredients you have to measure.
Lasagna noodles: because this is “lasagna,” right?? We break the noodles into smaller pieces so they cook quickly and can be easily stirred into the sauce. You can use other pasta shapes if you prefer, but the cooking time may be slightly different.
Cheese: We used three cheeses in this recipe to make it extra cozy. A mixture of ricotta and Parmesan are added in dollops onto the pasta, then everything is covered in a blanket of melty mozzarella!
What Else Can I Add?
Another reason skillet lasagna is so great is that it’s actually quite versatile! You can add or substitute many of the ingredients to make it your own. Here are some ideas for add-ins or substitutions for the ingredients in skillet lasagna:
Sautéed vegetables: finely chop then sauté just about any vegetable in the skillet after the beef has been browned. Try zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant, or more. Make sure to cook out most of the water to avoid a soupy lasagna.
Meat: Add more meat or swap out the Italian sausage for ground beef, pork, or even diced chicken. Just make sure to add additional seasoning to the sauce to make up for what is lost in the Italian sausage.
Sauce: Experiment with different flavors of store-bought sauces. Make your sauce spicy by adding a pinch or two of crushed red pepper.
Cheese: try topping your lasagna with some crumbled feta for an extra kick!
What to Serve with Skillet Lasagna
I always love serving heavier dishes like lasagna with a light and simple side salad to brighten up the meal, but you also can’t forget the garlic bread for sopping up every last drop of that sauce!
Add the Italian sausage and olive oil to a large deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is cooked through.
Mince the garlic, add it to the skillet with the sausage, and continue to sauté over medium for one more minute.
Add the pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, and water to the skillet then stir to combine.
Break the lasagna noodles into one to two-inch pieces, then stir them into the sauce in the skillet.
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow the sauce to come up to a boil.
Once boiling, give the skillet a brief stir, replace the lid, then turn the heat down to medium-low. Let the noodles simmer in the sauce, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 15 minutes). If the sauce becomes too dry before the noodles are tender, add more water and continue to simmer.
While the noodles are simmering, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.
Once the noodles have cooked, add the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles in small dollops. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over top.
Place the skillet under your oven's broiler for a few minutes or just until the cheese is melted and slightly browned (make sure to use an oven-safe skillet, no lid). Or, place the lid on the skillet and continue to cook over medium-low heat until the cheese is melted. Serve hot and enjoy!
Brown ½ lb. Italian sausage in a deep skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Once browned, add two cloves of minced garlic and continue to sauté for one minute more.
Add one 24oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce, ½ tsp Italian seasoning blend, and 1 cup water to the skillet. Stir to combine.
Break nine lasagna noodles (½ lb.) into one to two-inch pieces.
Stir the broken lasagna noodles into the sauce in the skillet. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the sauce up to a boil. Once boiling, give the skillet a good stir, replace the lid, then turn the heat down to medium-low.
Allow the noodles to simmer in the sauce, stirring occasionally, until they are tender (about 15 minutes). If the sauce gets too thick before the noodles are tender, simply add a little more water and allow them to continue to simmer.
In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup ricotta cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir until evenly combined.
Add the ricotta mixture to the skillet in dollops across the top, then sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella over top.
To get the cheese nice and melty and browned, place the skillet lasagna under your oven’s broiler for a few minutes (no lid and make sure you’re using an oven safe skillet and watch it closely!). Alternatively, you can place a lid on the skillet and let it cook over medium-low for a few minutes more until the cheese has melted.
Serve hot with some crusty garlic bread for dipping! 🤤 (garnished with parsley, not needed for flavor)
Frozen ravioli is one of my favorite “cheat” ingredients. It’s a nice item to stash in your freezer for last-minute quick dinners when you don’t have anything else planned. And instead of just boiling them and adding sauce, sometimes I like to bake them up lasagna-style! This Baked Ravioli is a truly easy comfort food that takes next to no planning. You’re going to love it!
What is Baked Ravioli?
This super simple dish is a lot like lasagna, but with a LOT less fuss. It’s simply layers of ravioli layered with a rich red meat sauce, then topped with cheese and baked to perfection. For this recipe we use a really simple homemade meat sauce to take everything up a notch, but you can totally use your favorite store-bought red sauce as a sub to make the baked ravioli even easier.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for baked ravioli:
Italian sausage: The sausage makes this dish super filling and it also brings a lot of built-in herbs and spices that give the sauce and overall casserole a lot of flavor. You can substitute non-pork Italian sausage if preferred, but if you substitute plain ground pork or ground beef you’ll want to double-up on the seasonings in your sauce.
Yellow onion: Onion gives the sauce a nice natural sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, and a wonderfully savory base flavor.
Crushed tomatoes: this is the base of your red sauce. The fine texture of the tomatoes is just the right texture between chunky and puréed.
Italian seasoning: this simple store-bought seasoning mix is a one-stop shop for seasoning your red sauce. If you don’t have this, you can substitute a mix of dried basil, dried oregano, rosemary, marjoram, and thyme.
Frozen ravioli: the star of the show, frozen ravioli makes this dish come together so quickly and easily. Plus, you can stash it in the freezer for emergencies without it going bad! Use cheese ravioli for the most lasagna-like experience. If you use beef ravioli, you may want to layer in some cheese with your ravioli and sauce before baking, and reduce the amount of Italian sausage in the sauce.
Mozzarella: the final layer of gooey cheese that tops this simple casserole! You can use plain mozzarella or substitute with a mix of Italian cheeses, if you prefer.
Budget Options
I’ll admit, this recipe is a little indulgent with all of that sausage, and using convenience products, like frozen ravioli, will also make the cost a bit higher. BUT there are some swaps you can use to bring the cost of this recipe down even further. Here are some tips:
Swap half of the Italian sausage for sautéed mushrooms, peppers, or spinach.
Make your own Italian sausage by buying plain ground pork and adding in your own spices.
Buy your cheese in bulk to bring the price per cup down.
Use a store-bought red sauce (you’ll need about 32 oz.)
Watch for sales on the sausage and ravioli, then stash them in the freezer to “lock in” that sale price until you’re ready to make your baked ravioli!
How to Store Baked Ravioli
This baked ravioli will hold up in the fridge for about 4-5 days, so it’s great for meal prepping the week ahead! If you want to store it even longer, divide it into single serving portions and then once it’s chilled completely in the refrigerator you can transfer it to the freezer for longer storage (about three months). The frozen portions can be reheated quickly using a microwave for a super fast homemade meal!
Add the Italian sausage to a large skillet and cook over medium until fully browned.
While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion. Add the onion to the skillet with the cooked sausage and continue to cook and stir over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Stir to combine and bring the sauce up to a simmer.
Once simmering, place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and allow the sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, while you cook the ravioli.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the ravioli. Once boiling, add the ravioli and continue to boil for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through (check the cooking instructions on the package for the recommended cook time). Drain the ravioli in a colander.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add 1 cup of meat sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish and spread it to cover the surface.
Layer in half of the ravioli followed by half of the shredded mozzarella and 1 cup of sauce.
Layer in the second half of the ravioli followed by 1 cup of sauce and the second half of the shredded mozzarella.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil, turn the oven from bake to broil, then return the casserole to the oven. Broil for a few more minutes, watching very closely, or until the cheese is browned. Top with chopped parsley if desired, then enjoy!
Add 1 lb. Italian sausage to a large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sausage is fully browned.
While the sausage is cooking, dice one yellow onion. Add it to the skillet with the sausage and continue to cook until the onion is soft and translucent (about five minutes).
Add one 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes, ¼ cup tomato paste, and 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning to the skillet. Stir to combine.
Bring the sauce up to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low. Place a lid on the skillet and allow the sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, while you cook the ravioli.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the ravioli. Once boiling, add one 25 oz. bag of frozen cheese ravioli and boil for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through (check the recommended cook time on the package). Drain the ravioli in a colander.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Add about 1 cup of the meat sauce to the bottom of a glass casserole dish and spread it around to cover.
Layer in half of the cooked ravioli, then top with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.
Layer in another 1 cup sauce, the second half of the ravioli, another cup of sauce, then one final cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake in the preheated 350ºF oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, switch the oven from bake to broil, and return the casserole to the oven.
Watch the casserole closely and broil for just a few minutes more or until the cheese is slightly browned on top (this can happen quickly, so keep a close eye). Remove from the oven, top with parsley (if desired) and enjoy!
Simple pasta dinners are kind of my specialty and this easy pasta with sausage and peppers is definitely one of my favorites. It’s a super quick meal, the leftovers are great for lunch the next day (or the next *few* days), and it’s surprisingly hearty for just how simple it is. So the next time you need a quick dinner fix, give this pasta with sausage and peppers a try. I think you’re going to love it!
What’s in Pasta with Sausage and Peppers
One of the main reasons that I love this recipe is that it’s incredibly simple. The Italian sausage is already chock-full of herbs and spices, so you don’t have to add a whole lot more to the skillet to make everything flavorful. Here’s all you’ll need to make this awesome pasta dish:
Italian Sausage: makes this dish hearty and adds TONS of flavor to the meal.
Onion and Bell Peppers: these vegetables add color, texture, and a slight sweetness to the meal, which perfectly balances the rich sausage and spicy red pepper.
Seasonings: I kept the seasonings simple since the sausage will add so much flavor. All you need is some fresh garlic, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. But you could totally use an Italian seasoning blend in place of the individual herbs.
Pasta: I like to use penne pasta for this dish because the shape pairs well with the size of the sausage and peppers, and the ribbed texture helps grab onto the sauce.
Jarred Pasta Sauce: Using a store-bought sauce keeps this recipe incredibly simple and the ingredient list short. It’s a shortcut worth taking, IMHO!
Feta: a little sprinkle of feta cheese on top adds one last pop of flavor that really takes this dish to the next level! If you don’t have feta, a little grated Parmesan would also be awesome. ;)
What Kind of Sausage to Use
I think Italian sausage pairs best with this recipe and sweet, hot, or mild Italian sausage will all work fine. I prefer to use sausage in links so I can slice it into medallions, but you could also use loose Italian sausage if that’s what’s available.
If you prefer a chicken sausage to pork, you could definitely use that, just make sure it’s seasoned similarly to Italian sausage. You may also need to add a little extra fat to the skillet to make up for the fat that renders out of the pork sausage.
What Kind of Sauce to Use
I seriously love this dish with literally any kind of jarred pasta sauce, and for that reason I usually just reach for the most generic and inexpensive red sauce available. This time around I used Kroger’s Tomato + Basil tomato sauce. Nothing fancy, but still good, and definitely inexpensive! If you want to make your own sauce, you can try our simple Weeknight Pasta Sauce recipe (minus the ground beef).
Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the cooking oil and sausage links to the skillet and cook the sausage for a few minutes on each side, or until well browned (it does not need to be cooked through at this point).
Remove the sausage to a clean cutting board and slice the sausage into medallions. Return the sausage to the skillet and continue to cook until the sausage is cooked through and browned on the cut sides. Remove the sausage to a clean plate.
Meanwhile, slice the bell pepper and onion into thin strips. Add the sliced onion and bell pepper to the skillet after removing the sausage. Stir and cook the vegetables over medium heat, just until they begin to soften slightly.
Add the sausage back to the skillet along with the pasta sauce, basil, oregano, and red pepper to the skillet. Stir everything to combine and heat through.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the pasta and continue to boil until tender (about 7 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander, then add it to the skillet and stir to combine with the sauce.
Top the skillet with crumbled feta and chopped parsley (if desired), then serve.
How to Make Pasta with sausage – Step by Step Photos
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a large skillet over medium. Once hot, add two Italian sausage links (about ½ lb. total) to the skillet and cook on each side until well browned. The sausage will not be cooked through at this point, but that’s okay.
Remove the partially cooked sausage to a cutting board and slice them into ¼-½ inch wide medallions.
Return the sliced sausage to the skillet and continue cooking over medium heat until the sausage is browned on the cut sides. Remove the cooked sausage to a clean bowl.
Meanwhile, slice one red bell pepper and one yellow onion into ¼-inch wide strips.
Add the sliced peppers and onions to the skillet with the remaining fat from the sausage. Continue to cook over medium heat until the peppers and onions just begin to soften. The moisture from the vegetables will help lift the browned bits from the sausage off the bottom of the skillet.
Add the cooked sausage back to the skillet along with one 24 oz. jar of pasta sauce, ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ¼ tsp crushed red pepper. Stir everything to combine and heat through.
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add ½ lb. penne pasta and continue to boil until tender (about 7 minutes). Drain the penne in a colander, then add it to the skillet with the sauce. Stir to combine.
Sprinkle a small amount of crumbled feta (about 1 oz.) and a little chopped parsley (if desired) over top just before serving.
