Happy Monday, everyone! How was your weekend? It was a momentous Saturday around these parts – our baby Lincoln turned one!
I’ll have a recap of the party on the Family Channel later this month but it was truly the perfect day and the party was exactly what I’d hoped it would be. A gathering of family to celebrate the light of our lives. I cannot BELIEVE that one year ago Ben and I were in the hospital snuggling our sweet little boy for the very first time. Completely mind boggling.
The party wasn’t without it’s hiccups. Check out the cake I attempted to make. BAHAHA – epic fail! Luckily Lincoln didn’t seem to mind and demolished it in the funniest cake smash I’ve ever seen. We witnessed the sugar high happen in real time! (Cake and icing details to come in the follow up post.)
The fact that this day has come and gone is bittersweet for sure. So many thoughts about this past year but, again, I’ll save them for the Family Channel so stay tuned!
In other news, I’ve officially crossed over to the dark side. I’ve been cooking with, gulp, bell peppers! An ingredient I find so loathsome that I wrote about my distaste for them in my About page here on IGE.
Their flavor is just too overwhelming. It takes over every dish it’s added to, right? And don’t even get me started on chopped red bell peppers pretending to be tomatoes. Nothing makes me more furious than taking a big bite of pasta salad, for instance, only to have my tongue immediately tell me that the juicy tomatoes I was eagerly anticipating are actually crunchy red bell peppers. Not cool!
That said, I will tolerate an occasional bell pepper under two conditions:
- When they’re charred nearly beyond recognition by the flames of a grill via shish kabob.
- When they’re simmered to melty, mild perfection in my Aunt Mary’s homemade marinara sauce then ladled over zesty Italian sausages nestled into crusty rolls and topped with melted provolone cheese, or in One-Pan Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta which totally mimics the taste. It does not get any better!
Visiting my Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob’s house in Ohio each summer was something I looked forward to all year long, not only because I got to see them and my wonderful cousins Kelly and Lindsay, but also because we knew an Italian feast would be waiting for us when we arrived hot, cramped, and hangry. Homemade cookies, cakes, salads, and the best of all, Aunt Mary’s homemade Italian Sausage, Peppers, and Onion Sandwiches. Those babies are legendary.
My parents got the chance to visit Mary and the family earlier this summer and, since Ben, Lincoln, and I couldn’t go with, she sent back a huge tupperware of sausages simmered in her homemade marinara sauce packed with peppers and onions for us to enjoy at home. Ben and I were nearly jumping up and down with excitement when we got the container in our hot little hands.
I might have been a tad more excited because, uh, I ate them all. I ATE THE WHOLE CONTAINER! Ben had 1 sausage and I ate the rest over the course of like, three days. That’s how good they are. I mean I felt bad for Ben but, c’mon man, you snooze you lose. So hard!
At any rate, the family was giving me a hard time about it last week so I decided to come up with a dish for Ben that would give him a taste of what he missed out on. One-Pan Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta got 2 thumbs up from my man!
Italian sausages are browned then simmered with pasta, spices, really good marinara sauce, and chicken broth then topped with whisper-thin slices of provolone cheese that melts gorgeously on top. Since I can’t eat bread, and Ben loves pasta (even gluten-free pasta,) this was a total win for both of us. Plus it all cooked in one pan and in under 30 minutes. Like I said, total win!
Start by cutting 4 raw Italian sausage links in half. You can usually find these by the brats at the meat counter. They are so dang good! Cutting each link in half allows the sausages to cook quickly in the pan, but furthermore that’s how Aunt Mary does it. So…yeah.
Heat 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat then brown the sausages on both sides. They don’t have to be cooked all the way through – just crisped to a nice golden brown color.
Remove the sausages to a plate then set aside.
Turn the heat down to medium then add 1 sliced green bell pepper and 1 large chopped shallot (could use 1/2 small onion,) season with salt and pepper, and then saute until the bell peppers are crisp tender. Next add 2 cloves minced garlic and saute for 30 more seconds.
FYI your shallots don’t need to get this dark. I got distracted by the adorableness that was Lincoln smearing fresh blackberries all over his face and thus over-browned them.
Whoops!
To the pan add 2 cups chicken broth and 1-1/4 cups REALLY GOOD marinara sauce. This is no time for Ragu or Prego, people! We’re going for an authentic Italian sausage and peppers flavor so you’ve got to get the good stuff. Central Iowa locals, grab a jar of Gino’s.
Next add 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes. The chili pepper flakes are optional – don’t like spice? Leave it out!
Now add 1/2 lb penne pasta (I used Barilla gluten-free penne) then shake the pan to make sure all the pasta’s covered in liquid. Nestle the sausage on top then place a lid on the pan and cook for 2 minutes less than the pasta package instructs for al dente pasta. It should definitely still have a bite.
Aaaand, voila! I always squeal at this point. But wait…there’s more.
Arrange 4 thin slices provolone cheese on top of the pasta and sausages then place the lid back on top until the cheese is melted. I asked the deli folks at my grocery store to slice the provolone really thin so it would melt quickly.
Glorious, glorious melted cheese!
Take the pan off the heat then let it sit with the lid off to thicken slightly before scooping into plates and digging in!
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One-Pan Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
Description
One-Pan Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta is a tasty 30 minute meal with all the flavors of an authentic sausage, peppers, and onion sandwich.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 raw Italian sausage links, cut in half
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 large shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1-1/4 cups really good marinara sauce (locals use Gino’s)
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/2lb penne pasta (gluten-free if you need it)
- 4 thin slices provolone cheese
Directions
- Heat oil in a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add sausages then brown on both sides – they do not need to be cooked all the way through. Remove to a plate then set aside.
- Turn heat down to medium then add peppers and shallots to pan. Season with salt and pepper then saute for 5 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Add garlic then saute for 30 more seconds.
- Add chicken broth, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and red chili pepper flakes to pan then turn heat up to bring mixture to a boil. Add pasta then shake pan to cover all the pasta with liquid and then nestle sausages on top. Place a lid on top then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is just under al dente, shaking the pan every so often to make sure the pasta is cooking evenly. Don’t let the pasta reach al dente as it still has a few more minutes to cook.
- Arrange cheese slices on top of pasta and sausages then place lid back on top. Let cheese melt then remove pan from heat and let sit with the lid off to thicken slightly for a few minutes before serving.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
The key to this dish is using good quality marinara sauce – spending a couple extra bucks really makes a difference. The sauce lightly coats the pasta and those super soft peppers and shallots really drive the homemade flavor home. The sausage and cheese though? Absolutely the stars of the dish. Enjoy this easy, tasty recipe!
Debtgirl 08.04.2014
This is right up my ally!!!! I can’t wait to make this! Omg time foes so quickly! Pretty soon you will be looking at cars for him!!! ;-(. Xoxo
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup 08.04.2014
I can’t believe he is one already. Those pics are just adorable. Thanks for the recipe. I usually serve sausage and peppers with potatoes, but pasta would be a fun change. Thanks for the tip!
Heather @ Shards of Lavender 08.04.2014
Love the picture of his 1st cake smash! He has quite the personality, doesn’t he? Your one pan pasta looks delicious; the cheese on top of the sausage just seals the deal…
Laura 08.04.2014
I also DO NOT like red or green bell peppers. But, orange and yellow? This I might suggest. They’re subtler and sweeter.
Kari 08.04.2014
Made this for dinner tonight and it was epic! I didn’t have provolone on hand so I added dollops of ricotta cheese! Thank you for one pan meals!!!!!!
Kristin 08.05.2014
Hooray!! So glad to hear!
Jamie 08.04.2014
Happy First to Lincoln! We celebrated my toddler’s 2nd on Saturday, a few days late, with a passel of screaming older kids he loved to chase around, taco bar dinner, and cupcakes. I don’t think he even had a cupcake – too busy playing to bother! He LOVED the Happy Birthday song and asked us to sing it 2 more times. = )
Kristin 08.05.2014
Happy belated to your little one! We TOTALLY forgot to sing – we were too focused on the cake!
Hayley 08.04.2014
That cake smash picture is amazing! What a ham :)
JennP 08.04.2014
I totally agree about the good marinara. I started buying Famiglia Del Grosso’s Sunday Marinara a few months ago, and it just makes every dish I use it in 10x better! It’s easy to fine and definitely worth the extra few bucks :)
Sarah @ People,Places&Plates 08.04.2014
Mmm this is one of my absolute favourite flavour combinations…only thing I’d change is swapping the green pepper for a red one!
Sharon Weaver 08.04.2014
I agree, i have had to eat green bell peppers all the time i was growing up. I don’t know what took me so long to find red ones. Anyway,i would use red in this also.
Helen 08.04.2014
This recipe looks great and I love peppers, haha. I feel the same way about Dijon mustard in a recipe as you feel about peppers-takes over the whole flavour of the dish! I never add as much as the recipe calls for, yet always taste it!
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe.
Tiffany 08.04.2014
OMG Lincoln is do adorable, love the cake pic. What a ham! Lol
erin @hooleywithaz 08.04.2014
yum, this is going to get us out of our dinner slump! i can’t wait! it’s been a slow month, and we’ve really been slacking in our cooking creativity.
erin 08.04.2014
my hated food growing up was peppers and onions…. peppers made its way into my life when i was about 22-23….onions are still unwelcome. but i definitely prefer red/orange/yellow over green. and i do adore the jalapenos, poblanos, etc!
Kelly Mitchem 08.04.2014
We put bell peppers in everything! Can’t live without them!
julie 08.04.2014
how big is the pan you use for your one pan recipes? i’d love to make this but don’t think i have a pan large enough…?
Kristin 08.05.2014
Great question! This was a 3-quart, 10-1/2″ pan. That said, these recipes are easily halved so you can still make it if you have a smaller pan or are cooking for less people!
Britt@MyOwnBalance 08.04.2014
This looks so good! I agree that peppers can take over a dish but if you really cook them down into a sauce like this, they actually taste quite heavenly!
Chelsea @ delipsch 08.04.2014
that cake smash picture is epic! What a great picture to brighten any day. Happy Birthday to Lincoln and to a great meal! thanks for posting.
Maryea {happy healthy mama} 08.04.2014
Aww-happy birthday to Lincoln! You totally had me at “one pan.” My kinda dinner! And sorry, but I adore red peppers in all forms. ;)
Bri | Bites of Bri 08.04.2014
I cannot believe you’re eating bell peppers! I love the looks of this pasta and I cannot wait for the update on the family channel.
Corinna 08.04.2014
I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love you for hating bell peppers. If you are sure even bell pepper haters can tolerate this dish I might give it a try, because it looks perfect! Love the cake smash pictures :-)