Vegan Sausage and Peppers Pasta

Introducing your new favorite mid-week dinner, vegan sausage and peppers pasta! The spicy hot Italian vegan sausage adds a kick and the peppers and onion infuse the dish with some color. Combine these ingredients with a traditional Italian marinara sauce and pasta, and you have yourself a winner.

Why This Vegan Sausage and Peppers Pasta is a Great Recipe:

  • Affordable and great for anyone on a budget
  • Easy to make with minimal cooking skills.
  • Only use one pot for minimal washing up
  • Adjust the recipe to your spice tolerance.

How To Cook Perfect Pasta 

Cooking pasta is relatively straightforward, but here are a few tips and tricks to ensure the take your spicy sausage and pepper pasta dish to the next level:

 

  • Salt the water to add flavor. Add salt once your water reaches boiling point (you’ll know it is boiling when you see lots of bubbles forming on the surface of the water), then add your pasta. You will need about one tablespoon of salt for every 1 pound of pasta you use. Therefore, this recipe requires half a tablespoon of salt in the pasta water. 

 

  • Add pasta to boiling water. Although your pasta will certainly cook if you add it to cold water and then bring it to a boil, your pasta will be more evenly cooked if you add it when the water is already hot. 

 

  • Taste test. Pasta packaging usually gives you a guideline for how long to cook your dry pasta noodles. Start checking the pasta 1 minute before the lower estimate and then check every 1 minute to ensure you serve your pasta when it is perfectly cooked. 

 

  • Save a little starchy pasta water for the sauce. Use leftover pasta water to enhance the flavor and thin out your tomato sauce if needed. 

Ingredient Substitutions

Marinara sauce

I use Rao’s Homemade marinara sauce to make this sausage and pepper pasta recipe a fast mid-week dinner option. You could also make a homemade Italian tomato sauce with tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil, bay leaves, and olive oil.  

Pasta

You could also serve this vegan sausage, vegetable, and marinara mix in a baguette for a tasty lunch option or swap the pasta for rice or another gluten-free grain if you avoid wheat in your diet. Just ensure you also use a gluten-free, vegan sausage.

Vegetables

Feel free to sneak in some other low water content vegetables, such as carrots or broccoli, to the penne pasta with sausage and peppers. 

Best Vegan Sausage Brands

1. Hot ‘n’ Spicy Italian Sausage

Beyond Meat is my go-to vegan Italian sausage for this recipe for its hot and herby flavor. 

2. Most Realistic Fake ‘Meat’

Beyond Meat is BY FAR the most realistic plant-based meat option out there. Beyond Sausages will not let you down if you have recently gone vegan and miss the taste of meat, or you want to impress your non-vegan friends. They are a little pricier, but they are worth it. Trust me, you’ll be running back to the packaging to double-check they are actually vegan. 

3. Budget-Friendly Option

Tofurky offers an affordable plant-based Italian sausage flavored with basil and sun-dried tomatoes. 

4. High-Protein Vegan Sausage

Who said vegans struggle with protein anyway? But if you are looking for a high-protein option, try the No Evil Foods Italian sausage ‘The Stallion’ with 25g protein per link. The high-protein content can also keep you fuller for longer.

Let Me Know Your Favorites! 

Send me a message on social media @consciously.vegan if you try this healthy vegan sausage and peppers pasta recipe at home and what vegan sausage brand you use! I’m always on the hunt for the best meat alternatives to use in my cooking.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1lb vegan sausage
  • 1 24oz jar marinara sauce
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 80z penne pasta or pasta of your choice
  • Salt & pepper
  • Grated vegan parmesan cheese & red pepper flakes for topping, optional
  • Fresh chopped basil for topping, optional

METHOD

  1. Cook the pasta according to the package
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the vegan sausage for 3- 5 minutes.
  3. Add in diced peppers and onions and cook for about 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper
  4. Next, pour the jar of marinara sauce over the sausage and veggie mixture and simmer for 10 minutes
  5. Add in cooked pasta stir together until well combined
  6. Plate and top with grated parmesan, basil, and red pepper flakes
Vegan Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb vegan sausage
  • 1 24oz jar marinara sauce
  • 1 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 8 oz penne pasta or pasta of your choice
  • Salt & pepper
  • Grated vegan parmesan cheese & red pepper flakes for topping optional
  • fresh chopped basil for topping optional

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta according to package
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the vegan sausage for 3- 5 minutes.
  • Add in diced peppers and onions and cook for about 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper
  • Next, pour the jar of marinara sauce over the sausage and veggie mixture and simmer for 10 minutes
  • Add in cooked pasta stir together until well combined
  • Plate and top with grated parmesan, chopped basil and red pepper flakes