This meal is so simple it’s silly, I can honestly say, this is a family favorite! This is a great example of something I will make if I’m crunched for time and I want something quick, easy and that everyone likes. I am serving the sauce on Farfalle or “bowtie” pasta but of course any pasta will do or you can serve it in a toasted sub bun lined with melted provolone cheese and make a sausage and peppers hoagie, New York style. 

The biggest step to making this dish easy and simple is to have a batch of my homemade Marinara ready to go. I suggest making this in the slow cooker and having it on hand at all times. I portion 6-8 ladles of it into a big ziplock bag, seal them and freeze them so I can just pull one out to defrost as needed.

Slow Cooker Marinara

Sausage & Peppers Sauce

4 small Italian Sausages, hot or mild (grilled)

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Bell Peppers, assorted colours

1/4 White onion, cut into thin slices

1 clove Garlic, cut into thin slices

2 Stems Fresh Basil, (1/4 cup chopped)

1/4 Cup Chopped Flatleaf Parsley, chopped

Shredded Parmesan or Romano Cheese

4 Cups Slow Cooker Marinara

1 Box Farfalle (454g)

Start by grilling your sausages, I used a paninni press but you can use the oven or the outdoor grill; let them rest after they’ve cooked to redistribute the juices. Turn a pot of water on high to boil.

Slice the peppers, garlic and onions and chop the basil. Slice sausages on an angle into 1/2″ coins. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium/high heat, add sausages and allow them to brown slightly, turn heat to medium and add peppers and onions, sweat for 2-3 minutes until soft.

Salt the water with 1 tbsp. kosher or sea salt once it begins to boil. Start Pasta cooking in Salted boiling water.

Turn heat to med/low and add garlic, cook for only one minute while stirring being careful not to brown the garlic. Add sauce and heat through. Once heated, turn off the heat and add 3/4 of the herbs reserving some for the final bowls. Drain the pasta. Add 1 cup of sauce to the pasta and stir to coat each noodle. Serve one portion of noodles in a bowl, ladle the finished sauce over the pasta and garnish with herbs and cheese.

Enjoy!