Gemelli with Sausage and Bell Peppers
To prepare this colourful dish, you’ll need to dice bell peppers and then simmer them with sausage meat in a sauce consisting of canned Italian tomatoes and chicken broth. Add a bit of fennel seed to enhance the sausage’s flavour, and you’ve got a bright, summery meal on your hands.
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini, cut into small dice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
- 1/3 cup (15 g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 lb (340 g) Italian sausage meat (about 3 sausages)
- 3 bell peppers, various colours, seeded and diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 can (14 oz/398 ml) diced plum tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) chicken broth
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground fennel seeds
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 3/4 lb (340 g) gemelli or fusilli pasta
- 1/2 cup (35 g) fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a large skillet over high heat, soften the zucchini in the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl. Add the parsley and mix well. Set aside.
- In the same skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until golden. Add oil as needed. Add the bell peppers, onion and garlic. Continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, tomato paste and spices to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Set aside ½ cup (125 ml) of the cooking water. Drain the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the skillet of sauce. Reheat for 1 minute, stirring to coat the pasta in the sauce. Add the reserved pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce as needed. Adjust the seasoning.
- Serve the pasta in bowls. Garnish with the zucchini mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
To prepare this colourful dish, you’ll need to dice bell peppers and then simmer them with sausage meat in a sauce consisting of canned Italian tomatoes and chicken broth. Add a bit of fennel seed to enhance the sausage’s flavour, and you’ve got a bright, summery meal on your hands.