Vegan Sausage and Peppers Pasta

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This Vegan Sausage and Peppers Pasta is the perfect addition to your weeknight rotation. It's a hearty, full-flavored meal that the whole family will love!

️🌟 This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. For the complete ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

• Vegan Italian Sausage - I love the texture of Field Roast and it adds a wonderful flavor to the sauce. Beyond Meat also has an Italian-style variety.
• Onion - shallots will work here too.
• Bell Peppers - I used a combination of red, yellow, and green. You can use any combination you like.
• Tomato Paste - deepens the flavor of the sauce so try not to skip this.
• Garlic - lots of fresh garlic is best here.
• Italian Seasoning - if you don't have it you can use a blend of dried oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary.
• Smoked Paprika - I prefer the smoky flavor, but you can also use sweet paprika if that's all you have.
• Red Pepper Flakes - you can replace it with ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper or omit the extra heat altogether.
• White Wine - it deglazes the pan and adds more depth of flavor. However, you can easily omit it without any replacement. Just skip the step entirely.
• Diced Tomatoes - I prefer fire-roasted but regular is delicious too.
• Vegetable Broth - you can use low-sodium or regular.
• Farfalle Pasta - you can also use rigatoni, fusilli, or penne.
• Vegan Parmesan - this is optional but so good!
• Parsley - you can also use fresh basil.

1. Cook the sausage until golden brown on each side. Set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate.
2. Sauté the onions and peppers over medium heat until tender and slightly golden.
3. Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Sauté until fragrant.
4. Now add the wine and simmer until reduced.
5. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, cooked sausage, salt, and pepper. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid and simmer for another few minutes until thickened. While the sauce is cooking, bring the pasta water to a boil, then add the farfalle and cook until just shy of al dente (reserve 1 cup of pasta water then drain).
6. Add the pasta to the sauce and gently toss to combine, then cook for a few minutes more. Add some of the pasta water if needed. Remove from heat, then sprinkle with parsley and vegan parmesan.

If you want to learn more detailed pasta cooking tips, here is an informative article on how to cook pasta perfectly every time.

📖 Recipe

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5 from 4 votes

Vegan Sausage and Peppers Pasta

This Vegan Sausage and Peppers Pasta is the perfect addition to your weeknight rotation. It's a hearty, full-flavored meal that the whole family will love!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 398kcal

Author: Melissa Huggins

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil , divided
• ▢ 12 ounces vegan Italian sausage (3-4 links), sliced diagonally into coins ½" thick
• ▢ 1 medium onion , sliced about ¼" thick
• ▢ 3 medium bell peppers , sliced about ¼" thick (various colors)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 4-5 cloves garlic , chopped or minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more/less to taste)
• ▢ ½ cup dry white wine (optional)
• ▢ 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes , fire-roasted (sub regular)
• ▢ ¾ cup vegetable broth , low-sodium if preferred
• ▢ 12 ounces farfalle pasta
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon sea salt , more to taste + for pasta water
• ▢ Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped parsley (sub with basil)
• ▢ ¼ cup non-dairy parmesan + more for serving (optional)

Recommended Equipment

• Large Pot
• 13-14 Inch Pan with Lid

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Instructions

• Heat up a large pot of salted water over high heat until it's almost boiling. Then cover and lower the heat to keep it hot until ready to use.
• Heat 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the sausage and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown on each side (don't overcrowd the pan - work in batches if needed). Remove from pan and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate.
• To make the sauce, place the pan back on the stove and add the remaining oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, peppers, and a sprinkle of salt. Sauté until tender and slightly golden. About 6-8 minutes. Lots of flavor happens here so don't rush this step!
• Add the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
• Now add the wine and simmer for 1-2 minutes until reduced. Gently scrape the bottom to release any browned bits stuck to the pan (if omitting the wine, just skip this step completely - no need for a replacement).
• Add the broth, tomatoes, sausage, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, then raise the heat to get things simmering, now lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the sauce is cooking, bring the pasta water to a boil, then add the farfalle and give it a good stir to prevent sticking. Cook until just shy of al dente, and according to package directions (usually around 8-9 minutes).
• After the sauce is done, remove the lid and simmer for another 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
• Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and set aside. Now drain the pasta and gently toss it with the sauce and cook for 1-2 more minutes. If the sauce is too thick, you can start adding some of the pasta water until you've reached desired consistency. You may not need any or much at all.
• Remove from heat then sprinkle with parsley and vegan parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

Sausage - I love the texture of Field Roast and it adds a wonderful flavor to the sauce. Beyond Meat has an Italian-style variety too.

If you want to amp up the Italian flavoring, you can add ½ teaspoon of oregano and fennel seeds. For more heat, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. 

Pasta - this will also work with rigatoni, fusilli, penne.

The pasta and sauce have a similar cook time, so have everything prepped and ready to go. Keep the water heated so it will boil fast when needed. This way you'll have fresh-cooked pasta that's ready to go in the sauce. Delish!

To make this dish gluten-free, you can use Beyond Meat sausages and your favorite GF pasta. I like the Jovial brand. 

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 596mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g

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