Spicy Italian Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti
This weeknight wonder, Spicy Italian Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti is full of delicious flavor in every bite. Tender spaghetti twirled in chunks of Italian sausage, spices, green and red peppers, onions, and garlic. The light tomato sauce is finished in a little butter and white wine for the home run and it will surely become a favorite at the dinner table.
Table of contents
Why you will love this recipe
If you have been following along for some time, you know I also work full-time in addition to running this site. And some weeks are so hectic, that I also need to put dinner on the table quickly but creativity and exhaustion are zapped. This Spicy Italian Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti recipe is the classic Sausage and Peppers re-invented. The light tomato sauce with Italian sausage chunks, peppers, onions a zippy, spice blend, and a little white wine and butter, turn a few ingredients into a comforting and super satisfying dinner.
I like to use spaghetti for this recipe so I can twirl all the delicious bites onto the pasta, however, fettuccine, linguine, penne and rotini work well with this recipe.
Types of Italian Sausage that work well for this recipe
When it comes to Italian sausage, I think Italian sweet or hot sausage links are the most common to find in grocery stores. If you are lucky enough to have an Italian grocer, Sicilian sausage is incredible in this recipe. I buy Butcher Box sausage without casings, I find it flexible to use in this recipe and others like my Italian Lentil Sausage Soup or my Quick and Easy Weeknight Pasta Sauce.
How to make Spicy Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti
The prep for this recipe is minimal; just some chopped peppers and onions. Don’t be intimidated by the spice blend! This is what makes the dish so incredibly flavorful. I like to use regular, sweet Italian sausage and turn up the heat with crushed red pepper flakes, but you can use hot sausage to turn up the heat a few extra notches if that’s your speed. Also, there is no cream in this sauce, it’s a light tomato sauce with touches of butter, and wine.
- 1 teaspoon of toasted fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1 teaspoon of crushed rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of paprika sweet
- 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (adjust as needed)
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound of Italian sausage removed from casings (hot or sweet)
- 1/2 red bell pepper cored, sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper cored and sliced
- 1 small onion peeled, ends removed, cut in half and sliced
- 1 28-ounce canned, diced tomatoes, good quality
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
- 1/4 cup of white wine dry
- 1 pound of dry spaghetti
- 1 cup of pasta water, reserved after the spaghetti is cooked
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- Salt, kosher to taste (see note below)
- Pepper, to taste
- Parmesan cheese, freshly grated or finely shredded for serving
- Chopped, fresh parsley for garnish
Pasta water: why we love it
According to the Pasta Queen, she refers to pasta water akin to “tears of the gods.” (Then the wonderful hair flip-We love her by the way) In addition to the Pasta Queen, Chefs, and home cooks use Magical pasta water. Why? A little pasta water adds salt and starchiness to the sauce. Not only does this help to season, but also to give body to a sauce that normally might be a little lackluster. Its contribution to the sauce is subtle, however noticeable on the palate when you are enjoying a dish. Another benefit to using the starchy pasta water is that it will help the sauce stick to the pasta. One more reason to love pasta water? When using butter or oil in a sauce, the starchy pasta water will emulsify the sauce.
For my Spicy Italian Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti, we are not using a traditional marinara-type sauce for this recipe. We are focusing the flavor on the Italian Sausage and the peppers and using canned, diced tomatoes, and a touch of tomato paste for a lighter-textured sauce.
Let’s make this recipe!
You will need a large braiser, skillet, saucier, dutch oven, or saucepan. A 5-quart size will accommodate the cooked pasta and the sauce. If you don’t own a large-sized pan, you can make the sauce in a skillet and then pour the sauce into the pot that you cooked the pasta in.
Let’s start by toasting the fennel seeds. This step can be omitted but I highly recommend it. Place the fennel seeds in a small, dry skillet. Turn the stove burner on to low, low-medium heat. Start stirring the fennel seeds and continue to do so for about 1 to 2 minutes. The fennel seeds will start to be aromatic and release their oils and aroma. Remove the pan from the heat source, remove the fennel seeds from the hot pan, and place the fennel seeds onto a small dish.
Let’s make the spice blend. You will need a small bowl, and combine the following spices.
- 1 teaspoon of toasted fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1 teaspoon of crushed rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of paprika sweet
- 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
Mix the spices until they are thoroughly blended. Set aside.
Over medium to medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the large skillet and add the sausage that has been removed from its casings. Break up the sausage with the spoon and sauté until cooked.
Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Add half the spice blend.
Sautè the peppers and onions until tender. About 5 minutes.
Add wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and the remainder of the spice blend. Bring the sauce to a low simmer. About 10 minutes.
Place about 5 quarts of water and a large pinch of kosher salt in a large pot and bring to a rigorous boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions.
Before you drain pasta, remove 1 cup of pasta water and add 1/2 cup to the sausage and pepper mixture. Add the second half cup if needed.
Now drain the spaghetti well and add the drained spaghetti to the sausage and pepper mixture. Finish the sauce with 2 tbsp of butter, pepper, and salt to taste. Toss gently until the spaghetti is coated with sauce and the sausage and peppers are evenly distributed.
NOTE: I add salt at the end for two reasons: depending on the brand of tomatoes, the salt content will vary. Second, depending on how much salt you add to the pasta water, this will also contribute to the seasoning. And third, if you only have salted butter, which is okay to use, this will also add to the finished dish.
How to serve
This delicious Spicy Italian Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti is perfect with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and finished with freshly chopped parsley. I skip the salad because there are some veggies already in the sauce. But feel free to add a simple Butter Lettuce Green Salad to this dish and some crusty garlic bread.
Enjoy!
Inspired by this recipe? Make sure to mention us or tag us on Instagram or Pin this recipe for later. All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Spicy Italian Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti
March 14, 2024Equipment
- large skillet or braiser
- pot 5-6 quart for spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of toasted fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon of dried basil
- 1 teaspoon of crushed rosemary leaves
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of paprika sweet
- 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes adjust as needed
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound of Italian sausage removed from casings hot or sweet
- 1/2 red bell pepper cored and sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper cored and sliced
- 1 small onion, peeled ends removed, cut in half and sliced
- 1 28- ounce diced tomatoes, canned good quality
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 cup of white wine dry
- 1 pound of dry spaghetti
- 1 cup of pasta water reserved after the spaghetti is cooked
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- Salt kosher to taste (see note below)
- Pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese freshly grated or finely shredded for serving
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
How to make the spice blend
- Let's start by toasting the fennel seeds. This step can be omitted but I highly recommend it. Place the fennel seeds in a dry small skillet. Turn the stove burner on to low, low medium heat.
- Start stirring the fennel seeds and continue to do so for about 1 to 2 minutes. The fennel seeds will start to be aromatic and release their oils and aroma.
- Remove the pan from the heat source, remove the fennel seeds from the hot pan and place them onto a small dish.
- Let's make the spice blend. You will need a small bowl, and combine the following spices.
- 1 teaspoon of toasted fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, 1 teaspoon of crushed rosemary leaves, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of paprika sweet, 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- Mix the spices until they are thoroughly mixed. Set aside.
How to make Spicy Sausage Spaghetti
- Over medium to medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the large skillet and add the sausage that has been removed from its casings. Break up the sausage with the spoon and sauté until cooked.
- Add peppers, onions, and garlic. Add half the spice blend.
- Sautè the peppers and onions until tender. About 5 minutes.
- Add wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and the remainder of the spice blend. Bring the sauce to a low simmer. About 10 minutes.
- Place about 5 quarts of water and a large pinch of kosher salt in a large pot and bring to a rigorous boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions.
- Before you drain pasta, remove 1 cup of pasta water and add 1/2 cup to the sausage and pepper mixture. Add the second half cup if needed.
- Now drain the spaghetti well and add to the sausage and pepper mixture. Finish the sauce with 2 tbsp of butter, pepper, and salt to taste. Toss gently to ensure spaghetti is covered in the sauce.
How to serve
- This delicious Spicy Italian Sausage and Pepper Spaghetti is perfect with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and garnished with freshly chopped parsley. I skip the salad because there are some veggies already in the sauce. But feel free to add a simple Butter Lettuce Green Salad to this and some crusty garlic bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
