Sausage
$1.51per plate
Prep
10 min
Sausage · Italian Sausage
Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
One pound of Italian sausage carries a whole pot of pasta. Browned and broken up, it renders spicy, savory fat that cooks the peppers and onions and seasons the sauce for free. Add a can of tomatoes and a box of penne and you have a hearty dinner for five at around a dollar fifty a plate. It is the kind of pan that tastes like it simmered all day but comes together in half an hour.
$1.50per plate
Estimated recipe total
$7.48 · serves 5
Cook
20 min
Total
30 min
Serves
5
1 How to make it
1
Brown the sausage
Squeeze the sausage out of its casings into a hot skillet with a little oil and cook, breaking it up, until browned. The rendered fat is where the flavor is, so leave it in the pan.
2
Soften the peppers and onion
Add the sliced pepper and onion to the sausage and cook until soft and starting to caramelize, about 6 minutes. Stir in the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
3
Simmer the sauce
Pour in the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and simmer 8 minutes while the pasta boils. Meanwhile cook the penne to the package time and save a cup of the pasta water.
4
Toss and finish
Add the drained pasta to the sauce with a splash of the pasta water and toss to coat. Stir in the basil and half the parmesan, and serve with the rest on top.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Any smoked or ground sausage. Kielbasa, smoked sausage, or bulk breakfast sausage all work. Use what is cheapest; the method is the same.
- Frozen pepper strips. Cheaper than fresh with no waste. Add them straight from the freezer with the onion.
- Turkey Italian sausage. A leaner, often cheaper option. Add a little extra oil since it renders less fat.
- Add greens. Stir in a couple handfuls of spinach at the end to bulk it up for almost nothing.
3 Budget tips
- One pound of sausage seasons a whole pot, so a little meat feeds five. Buy it on sale near holidays and freeze extra.
- The sausage fat cooks the vegetables and flavors the sauce, so you barely need any oil.
- A box of pasta and a can of tomatoes keep the cost low while the sausage does the flavor work.
- Bulk sausage, sold loose without casings, is often cheaper than links and saves you a step.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It reheats well and makes a great lunch.
Freezer
Freeze cooled portions for up to 3 months. The sauce and sausage hold up well; the pasta softens slightly.
Reheating
Warm it in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, or microwave a bowlful. The sausage and peppers taste even deeper the next day.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
440
Protein
19g
Fat
22g
Carbs
42g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
Should I use link sausage or bulk sausage?
Bulk Italian sausage, sold loose, is often cheaper and saves you removing casings. If you buy links, just slit the casing and squeeze the meat out before browning.
How do I make one pound of sausage feed five?
Let it flavor the whole pot rather than serving it as the main portion. Browned and broken up with peppers, onion, and a box of pasta, a single pound stretches to five hearty plates.
Can I make this less spicy?
Use mild or sweet Italian sausage instead of hot, and skip any added pepper flakes. The dish stays just as flavorful.
How is $1.50 a plate worked out?
The pot comes to about $7.48 across five servings. A single pound of sausage seasons the whole thing, so a little meat carries a lot of plates.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
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