Sausage and Bell Pepper Linguine

It’s been a hot minute since I shared a recipe on here, which is shocking for as much as I have been cooking over quarantine! One of our go-to meals in our weekly rotation is spaghetti. It’s so quick and easy to throw together, but we have a pretty bad habit of resorting to frozen meatballs and spaghetti sauce from a jar. Don’t get me wrong, it ALWAYS hits the spot, but recipes like this are so easy, only require chopping a couple veggies, and take under 30 minutes to make– but it’s on such a different level.

Also, I cannot emphasize enough how much growing some fresh herbs will elevate your meals– just throwing some fresh basil on a meal like this makes a huge difference! I used to have a black thumb, but I’ve found that thyme, basil, mint, and rosemary have been very simple for me to grow and maintain. This growing kit is a great place to start!

I was inspired to make this when we visited our local farmers market recently. I picked up some locally grown peppers and onions and even stumbled across a local farmer (he’s like 10 minutes from our house!) who makes homemade sausage, so I made this with the sausage we bought from him. We don’t buy things from our local farmers market nearly as much as we would like to, but we never regret it when we do! The things we get there are always way more flavorful than store-bought fruits and veggies and it is a cool feeling knowing you are buying from your neighbors and helping the local economy.

So all that rambling to say: if you’re like me and want to upgrade your spaghetti night but still want it simple, this is the recipe for you!

I personally love linguine, but you could obviously swap it out with whatever shape you like. But I think long noodles suit this dish best. But do what you like–whether its penne, angel hair, or regular spaghetti! I just love linguine for whatever reason 🙂 If you’re looking to make this dish more low-carb, this chickpea pasta is amazing! It’s also high in fiber and protein.

This meal is still hearty and hits the spot, yet still manages to taste fresher than making pasta with jarred sauce. Adding your own spices and herbs (especially when they can be fresh) makes a huge difference. And also having more control over the amount of sugar and salt is a huge plus too!

As the weather is cooling, I start to crave heartier dishes (think: CARBS), but this dish manages to be very filling while also very fresh tasting with the punch of fresh veggies and herbs. I’m not Italian, nor do I claim for this to be an authentic Italian dish (please don’t come for me!!!), but it sure is tasty!!!

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Sausage and Bell Pepper Linguine

Ingredients

• 1 lb italian sausage
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp rosemary (fresh if possible) chopped
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 8 oz fettuccine
• 1 can crushed tomatoes 13 oz can
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• handful basil chopped
• parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, seasoning the water well with salt

2. While waiting for the water to boil-- peel, halve, and thinkly slice the onion. Halve, core, and thinly slice the bell pepper

3. Add oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and seasoning. Cook, stirring occassionally for 3-4 minutes, or until vegetables are slightly softened.

4. Once softened, add sausage to vegetables. Break up the sausage into pieces as it cooks for about 5 minutes or until cooked through and browned.

5. Once water is boiling, add linguini. Cook until al dente. Before draining, reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside-- then drain.

6. When sausage is cooked, add crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then adjust heat to a simmer while linguini cooks. Once spaghetti is drained, add about 3/4 cup of reserved pasta water and then let continue to cook for 2 minutes. Taste again and season if needed with more salt and pepper.

7. Add spaghetti to pan and toss to coat. Add small splashes of pasta water if needed in order to coat. Serve topped with chopped fresh basil and shredded parmesan cheese