Description
The secret to the BEST Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta? Brown that sausage until caramelized, then let the sauce simmer just long enough for the flavors to mingle but not so long that the pasta gets mushy.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (16 oz/450g) bow tie pasta (farfalle)
- 1 pound (16 oz/450g) Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup/150g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon/12g)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup/150g)
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup/150g)
- 1 can (14.5 oz/411g) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (8 oz/226g) tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup (50g) grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup (10g) fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook bow tie pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water before draining.
- While pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage, breaking into small chunks. Cook until deeply browned, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- In the same skillet, add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté onions until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add diced bell peppers and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Return browned sausage to the skillet. Add diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add drained pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. If needed, add splashes of reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Remove from heat, fold in fresh basil leaves, and serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese on top.