Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
This Roasted Red Pepper Pasta features freshly roasted red peppers, sweet Italian chicken sausage, and cavatappi pasta tossed in a simple fire roasted tomato sauce. This is an easy, 7-ingredient, flavorful option for your next dinner.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers
- 3 tsp olive oil, divided
- 12 oz cavatappi, penne, or other pasta
- 4 sweet Italian chicken sausage links, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ c low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ c reserved pasta water
- 1 12 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 4 c spinach, packed
Instructions
Roasted Red Peppers
- Heat your oven to high broil. Quarter and deseed the bell peppers. Rub the quarters with a little olive oil (about 1 teaspoon total). Place the peppers cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the peppers begin to blister. The outer skin of the peppers should have a few dark spots. Remove the peppers from the oven and let cool a few minutes on the baking sheet.
- Once the peppers are cool to the touch, remove the blistered skins. Slice the peeled peppers into thin strips. Set aside.
Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Skillet
- While the peppers are broiling, bring a large sauce pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta 7 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Reserve 1/3 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Slice the sausage links into pieces. Drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan and bring to medium-high heat. Add the pieces in a single layer to the pan. Cook the pieces on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip the pieces over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly browned on the other side. Remove the sausage from the skillet and cover with tin foil to keep warm.
- Turn the heat down to medium heat. In the same pan that you cooked the sausage in, add remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil and garlic. Saute garlic 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the can of fire roasted tomatoes, reserved pasta water, 3/4 cup chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce cooks down by half.
- Add the sausage, roasted red peppers, and pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine. Lastly, fold in the spinach. Cook another 1 to 2 minutes, until the pasta is warmed and the spinach is slightly wilted. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- I recommend using a 12" skillet or frying pan for this recipe. If you do not have a large enough frying pan, add the cooked sausage, peppers, spinach and sauce to the pot with the pasta instead. Toss to combine and serve.