Plant-based Italian sausage and bell pepper pasta

This Sausage and Bell Pepper Pasta is a delightful plant-based take on a classic dish, perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. Using chickpea pasta and plant-based Italian sausage, it stays vegetarian while still offering all the hearty, “meaty” flavors you love.

To make this dish extra creamy, I layer my best ever authentic Italian Alfredo sauce over penne pasta before topping it with a bit of Italian spiced plant-based sausage and bell pepper mixture. It’s a satisfying 20-minute sausage pasta skillet meal that’s full of “meaty” flavor while actually being meatless.

This recipe was inspired by my friend David who’s been a vegetarian for years. One early spring evening we celebrated the season’s arrival by opening the porch for dinner, and he shared his tips for cooking plant-based sausage (did you know you can cook it frozen?) and creating a delicious sausage, onion, and red pepper pasta. I’ve carried those tips into this recipe, and now you can enjoy this creamy alfredo, meatless Italian sausage and pepper pasta any time you’re craving something comforting yet wholesome.

What you'll need

To make this sausage and bell pepper pasta using plant-based Italian sausage add these items to your shopping list:

Plant-based meat sauce:

• Plant-based sausage links like Beyond Meat or Tofurky Italian sausage (which I find at my food coop).  Inquiring minds want to know: How is plant based sausage made?  Well, the key ingredient in vegan sausage is typically either pea or soy protein, along with one or more oils (canola, coconut, sunflower), spices and other plant-based additions combined to mimic the flavor, texture, and appearance of meat sausages.
• Extra virgin olive oil – I have also used an avocado oil when sautéing my sausages and vegetables.
• Small onion – either yellow or white will work in this recipe.
• Red, green or yellow bell pepper – I opt for the flavor of red or yellow but choose your favorite pepper to add, or toss in a mix of peppers.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – I like to add a pinch of red pepper flakes to add a little kick.

Alfredo Sauce, Pasta and Garnishes

• Alfredo Sauce – To elevate this dish we will make a rich, silky alfredo sauce to toss with the pasta before ladling on the meat sauce.  
• Penne Pasta – For this sausage, pepper and onion pasta sauce I like to use a tubular pasta like penne, as it holds up to the weight of the pasta sauce.  Also, I have found that gluten-free penne pasta is easier to find in the grocery store.  I have tried penne pasta made with chickpeas and it worked well with this meat sauce.  Other favorite pasta shapes to use with this recipe are fettucine and pappardelle.
• Garnishes – Fresh parsley and freshly grated parmesan are the finishing touches for this dish.

See recipe card for quantities.

Making a plant-based pasta dish

• First, make your 10-minute Authentic Italian Alfredo Sauce and set aside.

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water, and cook the penne according to the directions on the package.  Drain and add to the alfredo sauce, stirring to coat the pasta. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce.  Take off the heat, setting it aside to start on the sausage, pepper and onion pasta sauce.
• Meanwhile, grab a heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, add some olive oil and heat over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, toss in the chopped peppers and onions, sautéing until soft and tender (we are not trying to brown them).  Be sure to stir occasionally, to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

How to cook plant-based sausage

• To cook the sausage for this recipe, add the sliced plant-based sausage links and cook.  David’s tip is that you can use frozen plant-based sausage – just throw the whole link in the pan frozen and break it up as it defrosts and cooks with the back of a wooden spoon.

• Once it's heated through and nicely browned, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste.  Sprinkle in some salt, and give it a good grind of fresh black pepper.  Stir to combine and cook for another minute – until you can smell the garlic!

To Serve

Ladle penne pasta tossed in alfredo sauce into shallow bowls.  Top with the meat sauce, sprinkle with additional parmesan and garnish with chopped parsley.  Enjoy!

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Related

Looking for other small batch pasta recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with sausage and bell pepper pasta: