Orecchiette Pasta with Sweet Peppers and Sausage

I made this flavorful dish for the first time last week. It was so delicious that I had to include the recipe in my blog. I found this gem in the May 2017 edition of Southern Living Magazine. The one pound of multicolored sweet peppers really caught my eye. You see...I have a garden full of sweet peppers, and I am constantly looking for ways to use them in recipes. This recipe is yummy and also lets me use peppers from my garden. As a bonus, I also love pasta. It seemed the perfect recipe for me. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!

Bon Appetit!

Preparation time is 20 minutes. Total time is 40 minutes.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked orecchiette pasta
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 pound multicolored sweet baby bell peppers, thinly sliced crosswise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano
1 1/4 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely shredded (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup torn fresh basil

Directions:

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking water. While the pasta cooks, cook the sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break into bite-size pieces, until cooked through (5 to 7 minutes). Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Discard drippings.

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet, stirring and scraping to loosen browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar, salt, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in the pasta, sausage, and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir in the cooking water, 1/4 cup at a time, until sauce is smooth and coats the pasta. Discard any remaining cooking water. Stir in oregano. Top servings evenly with cheese and basil. Serves 8.