Before we wrap up our week of easy weeknight dinner ideas, I have one more quick, delicious recipe for you. My mom has been making bow ties with sausage and peppers for pretty much as long as I can remember, and it has become a long-time family favorite. When my parents moved to Oregon a few years ago, I made it for them on their first night here as a special surprise. It takes a little longer than the other recipes we’ve had this week, but it still manages to be a quick and easy weeknight dinner, not to mention delicious. And it makes for great leftovers, which I always love. My mom always makes homemade italian turkey sausage, but you can use your favorite italian sausage in its place.
This recipe is another in the Melanie Makes/Lulu Bakes series, where I team up with my friend Melanie from Melanie Makes in a monthly recipe challenge. Our three ingredients this month were pasta, green bell peppers, and mozzarella cheese, and as soon as I heard what our ingredients were, I knew what recipe I wanted to make. Be sure to visit Melanie’s fantastic blog today as well to see what delicious recipe she came up with featuring our three ingredients.
- 1 lb bow tie pasta
- 1 lb italian sausage (recipe below)
- olive oil
- 2 bell peppers, cut into short, thin strips
- ½ large onion, cut into short, thin strips
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- salt and pepper
- parmesan cheese
- shredded mozzarella
- 1 lb ground turkey (NOT ground turkey breast, which is way too lean for this recipe)
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1½ teaspoons whole fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil. Cook bow tie pasta according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.
- While waiting for the water to boil, combine all sausage ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until well-combined. Drizzle a little olive oil in a large skillet, and cook sausage mixture over medium heat until no longer pink. Add peppers and onions, and continue cooking until vegetables are tender.
- In a small bowl, whisk chicken broth and cornstarch until smooth. Add to the skillet and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Add sausage and pepper mixture to the drained pasta, toss, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella.
