Last updated on September 29th, 2025
As summer wanes and fall emerges, we welcome heartier fare and warming flavours. This Pappardelle with Sausage and Peppers is how I’m embracing the change in seasons.
This is my take on classic sausage and pepper pasta. It’s what comes to mind when I dream during the winter months of growing peppers and rosemary in the garden. It’s also one of the meals that sustains us from fall through snowy January nights. Sometimes with a little ricotta stirred in for good measure.
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Pappardelle with Sausage and Peppers
- 1 lb (454 grams) fennel Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 red bell peppers, stems, cores and seeds removed and cut into 1-inch squares
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste plus 3 tablespoons water or 6 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 lb (500 grams) pappardelle
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
I love the way the sauce clings to the long, flat pasta strands in this dish. You’ll start by browning the sausage first. Once the sausage is done and set aside, you’ll begin assembling the layers of flavour in the same pot until you have a simmering sauce base.
Next, add the pasta and toss together with some butter and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Then stir in some reserved pasta water to create a glossy sauce.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s seasonally inspired: This dish is made with late-season peppers, savoury, hardy herbs and fennel Italian sausage to take the chill off cooler evenings.
- It’s flavour-packed yet balanced: The sweetness of the red bell peppers balances out the heat of the spicy sausage, while the butter enriches the flavour of the sauce, creates a rich and glossy texture through emulsification and mellows the overall acidity of this dish.
- Make it dairy free: Substitute extra-virgin olive oil, DF butter or plant-based Parmesan in place of the dairy in this recipe.
- It requires minimal ingredients and minimal clean-up: A rewarding, yet simple and comforting meal that’s ready in about 30 minutes!
Tips for the best Pappardelle with Sausage and Peppers
- Servings: This recipe is made with 1 lb (454 grams) pasta and makes about 4 servings allowing for 4 oz or 115 grams protein per person. I’ll often stretch it to 6 when accompanied by salad and bread or if portioning it out for weeknight meals.
- Reserve pasta water! It helps emulsify the sauce into a silky texture.
- Don’t overcook the pasta: Whether you use fresh or dry pasta, cook according to package instructions then drain and add it directly to the sauce. Overcooked pasta will lose its shape and begin to stick together. If in doubt, cook for 1 minute less than instructed to retain a slight chewiness once it’s stirred into the sauce.
This simple Pappardelle with Sausage and Peppers comes together quickly with lots of flavour. An ideal fall or winter pasta dish, serve it with a side salad made with this Caesar dressing and your favourite crusty bread!
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see!
And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews. This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!
Pappardelle with Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 lb fennel Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 red bell peppers stems, cores and seeds removed and cut into 1-inch squares
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste plus 3 tablespoons water or 6 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 lb pappardelle
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for serving
Instructions
- In a soup pot or Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon oil and sausage and cook over medium heat until lightly browned, breaking it into small chunks with a wooden spoon, 5-6 minutes. Remove sausage from pot and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to pot and sauté the onion until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add the peppers, season with salt, and continue cooking until softened, 7 to 8 minutes.
- While the peppers are cooking, fill a pot for the pasta with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil.
- To the sauce, add tomato paste and water (or tomato sauce if using), chopped rosemary and oregano. Stir in cooked sausage and turn heat down to low.
- When the sauce is ready and the water is boiling, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water then drain well and toss with the sauce along with the butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir in ½ cup pasta water. Add a little more pasta water if needed just until the sauce is glossy, then plate and serve topped with more grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
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