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.

Serving Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage for Weeknight Dinner

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.

Serve Pasta Dish on Pretty Plates - Pfaltzgraff Farmhouse Hen

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 Weeknight Dinners

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Ingredients for Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage

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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 and freshly ground black pepper
bow tie pasta
Parmesan cheese

Recipe Tips

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!

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 used zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms. Bell peppers are a must, as that is what really makes this tomato sauce special. If you have fresh herbs, use them!

Instructions for Making This Recipe

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

Prepare the 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.

Cook the Sausage and Pasta

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

Saute Bell Peppers and Onions in Olive Oil

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

Serve this Pasta Dish for Easy Weeknight Dinner - Pfaltzgraff Farmhouse Hen Dinner Plates - Cuisinart Rooster Stainless Utensils

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.

Wine Suggestion

My wine suggestions for this dish are a nice Chianti, Sangiovese, or Bordeaux Red Blend such as Francis Ford Coppola Diamond Collection Claret. I love how this type of red wine tastes with any of my tomato pasta dishes.

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Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage

535 kcal

Prep 20

Cook 25

Total 45

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

Servings

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

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

Equipment

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Instructions
Click to Start Cooking

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 pork sausage. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels, if necessary.
In the same pan add olive oil and sauté 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.