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Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage was one of the first Italian dishes I learned to make. It’s delicious and still one of my favorites.

(Post modified with new photos on 9/23/23.)

I love the sweet charm of bow tie pasta. And this sausage and pepper sauce works well with it, covering all the little nooks and crannies, so that every bite you take includes all of the taste sensations.

It’s an easy recipe to make, so works great for weeknight meals. Except that it tastes as though you’ve slaved over the stove for hours. Really, it’s quite wonderful.

Cook the sausage, and while the sauce is finishing, prepare the pasta. In less than 30 minutes, you’ll have supper on the table. Voila!

More Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas

Ingredients for Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage

(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)

bulk pork sausage
extra virgin olive oil
sweet onion
green bell pepper
red bell pepper
garlic
petite diced tomatoes
balsamic vinegar
parsley
basil
oregano
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
bow tie pasta
Parmesan cheese

Tips for Buying Ground Sausage

When shopping for ground sausage, I always look for the lowest fat option I can find. I like Oldham’s Country Sausage, which has 16 grams of fat. There’s also William’s Country Sausage that boasts a mere 11 grams, if you can find it. With either of these brands, you won’t sacrifice any flavor, and it’s not necessary to drain the fat after cooking. A real plus!

On Using Fresh Vegetables and Herbs

I love to use fresh vegetables and herbs in this recipe. It’s the perfect dish to use your favorite garden vegetables. I’ve listed onion, bell peppers, and garlic, but I’ve also included sliced zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms to this mix. But I always try to include the peppers, as that is what really makes this tomato sauce special.

Fresh herbs are always a plus to a recipe. If you have them, use them!

Instructions for Making This Recipe

Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table.

Prepare your Ingredients

Using a sharp knife and cutting board, chop the sweet onion. Dice the bell peppers. Mince the garlic.

With a fine-edged grater, grate the fresh Parmesan cheese. Set aside until ready to serve.

Prepare the Sausage and Pasta

In a large skillet or shallow Dutch oven, brown the sausage. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels, if necessary.

In the same pan add olive oil and sauté onion, bell peppers, and minced garlic until tender.

Add Cooked Sausage to the Sauce

Add petite diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, dried parsley, basil, and oregano. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, and then add in the cooked sausage. Continue to simmer for 7-10 minutes.

If desired, you may substitute fresh herbs for the dried. In general 1 teaspoon of dried herbs = 1 tablespoon of fresh cut herbs. I like to use fresh herbs when I can.

Adding the Cooked Pasta to the Sausage Tomato Mixture

While this is simmering, prepare the bow tie pasta as directed on package. Boil for 10-11 minutes to al dente. Using a large spider drainer, transfer pasta to the tomato mixture.

To serve, spoon pasta and sausage tomato sauce on individual plates. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley, if desired. Serve with Soft Breadsticks or Rustic Sourdough Baguettes, or my Tangy Sourdough Bread.

This recipe will serve 6-8 people.

My wine suggestion for this dish is Louis Jadot Beaujolais Villages. I love how this red wine tastes with any of my tomato pasta dishes.

See more Italian Recipes Here. Browse Main Dishes Here.

Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage

Here's a delicious recipe to serve with French Bread or Sourdough. A great weeknight dinner idea!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Serving Size 6

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sweet onion (chopped)
1/2 cup green bell pepper (diced)
1/2 cup red bell pepper (diced)
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried parsley (or fresh)
1 teaspoon dried basil (or fresh)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 oz bow tie pasta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

Instructions

Gather your ingredients so you have everything close at hand on the counter.

Prepare the Ingredients

Using a sharp knife and cutting board, chop the sweet onion. Dice the red and green bell peppers. Mince the garlic.
If using fresh herbs, you may also chop the fresh basil, parsley, and oregano, if desired. (1 tablespoon fresh herb = 1 teaspoon dried herb)

Make the Meat Sauce

In a large skillet or shallow Dutch oven, brown the sausage. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
In the same pan add olive oil and saute the prepared onion, bell peppers, and garlic until tender. Add petite diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and seasonings. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Add the cooked sausage to the tomato sauce and continue simmering for 7-10 minutes.

Prepare the Pasta

While this is simmering, prepare the bow tie pasta as directed on package label. Boil for 10-11 minutes to al dente.
Transfer pasta to the sausage tomato sauce and mix until incorporated.
To serve, spoon pasta and sausage tomato sauce on individual plates. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired. Serves 6-8.