Orecchiette pasta with Italian sausages and red peppers in a spicy olive oil sauce is a quick and simple Italian dish.
I love pasta, likely because of my Italian genes. I’m not referring to pasta with store-bought tomato sauce but something much better! Sausage, pepper and orecchiette pasta coated with garlic and extra virgin olive oil that delivers a punch of flavour.
What’s to love about this pasta?
Chunks of savoury browned sausage meat and diced red peppers envelope themselves inside the hollows of garlic and extra virgin olive oil coated orecchiette pasta. The pasta absorbs all the delicious flavours. The finished dish is sprinkled with more extra virgin olive oil, fresh parsley and shaved Parmesan cheese. I recommend using the optional crushed red pepper flakes as it adds a little kick to the dish. This is a loved authentic Italian pasta dish that looks and tastes like a gourmet meal and is made with only a few ingredients.
Ingredients needed
- Olive Oil
- Italian Sausages
- Garlic
- Red bell pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt & pepper
- Orecchiette pasta
- Fresh parsley
- Parmesan cheese
How to make this recipe
- Split open sausage cases and remove meat
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet and cook sausage until browned and crumbly
- Add garlic, red peppers and seasonings
- Meanwhile cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water
- Drain pasta reserving some starchy pasta water
- Add pasta to the large skillet and toss with sausage mixture
- Cook for 1 – 2 minutes adding some reserved pasta water
- Sprinkle with parsley and garnish with olive oil and Parmesan cheese
Orecchiette pasta
Orecchiette is a type of pasta shape originating from the Puglian region of Italy. “Orecchiette” when translated to English means “earflaps”. The pasta imported from Italy is shaped like small ears and has a unique dense, chewy and firm texture unlike other pastas. Because of its chewy texture, it takes a couple of minutes longer to cook than other traditional dry pastas. It’s the ideal pasta for many olive oil, tomato or vegetable based sauces. You can replace it with a different pasta shape, but it’s definitely worth the effort to seek out Orecchiette Pasta.
Italian sausages
For this recipe I used fresh Italian mild pork sausages that I purchased from an Italian butcher shop. This recipe is flexible so you can use any type or flavour of fresh pork or chicken sausages as desired. If you want the dish to be extra spicy, then choose a spicy sausage as opposed to mild.
Olive oil
Since olive oil is the base of this sauce I recommend you use the best quality extra virgin oil you can get your hands on. A good quality olive oil will make a huge difference in the final taste of the dish.
Parmesan cheese
Real authentic Parmesan cheese (in Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano) makes everything taste better! It’s a pale yellow cheese with a sharp fruity/nutty flavour. Made with cow’s milk, it has a hard rind with a granular texture that varies on how long it’s been aged. Parmesan is made in Italy to specific regulations and techniques and must be approved by the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. The rinds are branded with the official Parmigiano Reggiano stamp and codes. You can by chunks of Parmesan with the stamped rind and grate or shave your own, otherwise, freshly grated or shaved is often available at your cheese deli.
This one-dish meal comes together quickly making it great for entertaining or for a weeknight dinner. You’ll want to make it all the time. Your family will love it!
Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage & Red Peppers
Orecchiette pasta with Italian sausages and red peppers in a spicy olive oil sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 500 g mild or spicy pork Italian sausages casings removed (about 4 sausages)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced small
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 350 g dried orecchiette pasta (about 4 cups)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
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Split the sausage casings open and remove the meat while crumbling it with your fingers. Meanwhile heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large 12” skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage crumbles and cook while crumbling the sausage further with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausage is golden-brown, crispy and cooked through.
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Add garlic, diced red pepper and red pepper flakes (if using) stirring occasionally until red peppers are tender and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
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Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add orecchiette and bring to a boil. Cook for 12 - 13 minutes, or as package directs.
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Reserve ½ cup starchy pasta water in a mug. Drain pasta and add it to the skillet with the cooked sausage mixture. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes adding some of the reserved starchy pasta water to loosen the pasta as necessary.
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Sprinkle with chopped parsley, drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and serve garnished with shaved Parmesan cheese.
Finally got around to making this tonight – it was delish!!!
Susan, So glad you tried this recipe! Isn’t it amazing how so few ingredients can cook up to such a fabulous flavour? It’s a favourite at our house and easy enough to enjoy on a weeknight too.