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Side shot close up of sausage pasta sauce spooned over pappardelle with a hunk of burrata and a side salad.

Ground Italian Sausage Pasta Sauce With Peppers

This rich and flavorful ground Italian sausage pasta sauce is packed with veggies to give you a nicely balanced meal.  
5 from 14 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 157kcal
Author: Dana Sandonato

Ingredients

  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 lb ground Italian sausage Mild or hot, it's up to you!
  • 1 cup diced white onion
  • 1 cup diced green bell pepper You can use red, orange, or yellow instead, but these variations are sweeter and will slightly sweeten the sauce.
  • 1 cup diced zucchini
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
  • 2 TBSP tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • Fresh parsley
  • Sea salt, to taste

For serving:

  • 1 lb pasta—something fat and chewy is suggested, like pappardelle or rigatoni
  • 8 oz burrata, divided (optional)
  • Cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat up the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  • Once the oil has warmed, add the ground sausage to the pot. Using a spatula or meat masher, break it down into crumbles as it cooks.
    Pot of cooked ground sausage.
  • When cooked, remove the sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon; set it aside.
  • Bring the onions, peppers, zucchini, and parsley to the pot. Hit them with a generous amount of salt and let them all simmer for about 5-8 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
    Pot of uncooked veggies and parsley.
  • Stir in the garlic, letting it cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Spoon the tomato paste into the pot, and then add the chicken broth; give it a good stir until the tomato paste melts into everything.
    Pot of veggies with tomato paste mixed into broth.
  • Pour the tomato sauce into the pot, then stir in the sausage.
    pot of sausage and veggies with hand pouring in crushed tomatoes from a can.
  • Cover and let it all simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

Notes

  • Pop a parmesan rind into the sauce before you cover it to simmer. This will enrichen the flavor of the sauce!
  • If you prefer, you can replace the zucchini with any kind of summer squash or use chopped mushrooms.
  • Use hot Italian sausage and add chili flakes to spice things up.
  • Optional, but adding a nice hunk of burrata cuts through the richness of the sauce, leaving you with a nice balance. Other options include ricotta or cottage cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g