Creamy Red Pepper Shells
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Crumbled Italian sausage, Parmesan, basil, and the most EPIC red pepper cream sauce! So creamy, so so good.
Featured Comment
I’m currently taking a break from all the soups right now. At least for just a little bit. But only because I have something else keeping me nice and cozy during this very cold winter. That’s right. It’s this heavenly cream sauce here!
But this is not just any ordinary cream sauce. It’s a roasted red pepper cream sauce! Loaded with crumbled Italian sausage (mild or spicy can be used here), plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves. And you can use jarred roasted red peppers, cutting the prep time in half and making this the speediest dinner ever.
why i love this recipe
- Weeknight superhero. Say hello to a true 30 min dinner, start to finish, using pantry staples, a blender for a quick chop and mix, and using up what you have on hand for such an easy dinner recipe. And the red pepper cream sauce is simply out of this world amazing.
- Restaurant-quality. This may come together in lightning fast speed but you’ll still have restaurant-quality pasta in a flash, sure to impress even weekend company or a romantic date, especially with homemade crusty bread.
- Kid-friendly. Need to get in that serving of veggies for those picky eaters? Sneak in some greens or veggies to soak up all that creamy, dreamy, saucy goodness.
- Flexible recipe. This red pepper cream sauce is incredibly versatile. Serve over pasta, over meatballs or simply with some of your favorite bread (or dipping vessels).
- Freezes beautifully. This pasta dinner freezes like a dream, and can keep in the freezer for up to 2 months, making weeknight meals even more effortless.
tips and tricks for success
- Use your favorite meat. Mild or spicy Italian sausage, ground beef, chicken or turkey will all work very well here.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your dish. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Sneak in greens and veggies. This is a great opportunity to sneak in some veggies for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, arugula or finely chopped up broccoli florets and green beans are all great options.
- Make it lighter. Cut down on the richness and substitute whole milk, or skip the cream altogether.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
- Freeze as needed. Let cool completely and portion into plastic freezer bags in individual servings, squeezing out any excess air before sealing. Lay the bags flat in a single layer in the freezer (this will help them freeze quickly). Label, date and freeze up to 2 months.
what to serve with creamy red pepper shells
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Creamy Red Pepper Shells: Frequently Asked Questions
Shells and tubes are crowd-favorites, but penne, rigatoni and rotini are all great options.
Not at all! Ground beef, ground pork or ground turkey can be used instead.
Tomato sauce, in the US, is tomato puree typically cooked down for a thick, smooth consistency with a relatively sweet flavor. Passata is simply uncooked tomato purée. You can use passata in place of tomato sauce, but it is not a completely equal substitute.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight and reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Creamy Red Pepper Shells
Ingredients
- 8 ounces medium pasta shells
- 1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces mild Italian sausage, casing removed
- ½ medium sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
- Combine red bell peppers and chicken stock in blender until smooth; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is browned, about 5-7 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in red bell pepper mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in pasta and heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in Parmesan until melted, about 2 minutes. Stir in basil.
- Serve immediately.
Video
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This was soooooo good, part of me wanted to ask the nutrition facts on it, but it’s probably best not to know haha.
Great recipe! My toddler is becoming really fussy and she absolutely loved this! I didn’t use any salt and used low-salt chicken stock instead, we both enjoyed it!
That’s awesome!
I followed the recipe exactly with two minor exceptions, I added an additional garlic clove and used Turkey Italian sausage. This was amazing! It was easy and quick, with easy to find ingredients (which is REALLY important to me) but tasted as if it simmered for hours. Great flavor.
That sounds delicious!
This was so delicious. I subbed out evaporated milk, since I had that in the pantry. My fiancé loved it. Keeper on this super cold, snowy MI night.
Keep warm!
This was soooooo good, I almost cried when I was done with the leftovers! Definitely recommend using hot sausage instead of sweet!
Thank you, Ashley!
This was a rich and delicious comfort food meal in one. I used bulk sausage, container parmesan cheese (don’t cringe) and dried basil as those ingredients are what I had on hand. I also doubled shells, as I felt it had more sauce than I cared for regardless of previous reviews. So tasty, would definitely make again only use fat free half and half instead of heavy cream. Have to cut the fat somewhere 😉
Great idea! 🙂
Looking forward to making this next week! What would be some good side dishes to go with it other than garlic bread?
It’s a pretty full meal on its own, but you could add a vegetable or small salad on the side? It’s really your preference. You can check our side dish section for some inspiration: https://trustedhealthinsider.today/category/side-dish/%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E
This was delicious!! Made it with whole wheat penne and and used an arrabiatta sauce instead of tomato sauce (was just what I had). Tossed in some fresh basil at the end. This is definitely going in my monthly rotation! Thanks!
Great modifications!
AMAZING!!! One of the best pasta dishes on the site 🙂 super easy and yummy!
Awesome!
It was good the 1st time,but needed some bite. I used marinara instead of tomato sauce and the outcome was AWESOME
I made this last night and my two-year-old LOVED it! She ate her entire bowl and then kept asking for bites of mine. I used ground turkey and added an entire bushel of kale in with the sauce. It was delicious and so easy. Thanks for sharing!
That’s awesome!
I love this recipe. Does anyone know what a “serving” is in this recipe?
Mischelle, you would have to divide the full amount by 4 servings to get the serving size. Hope that helps!
Could this recipe be made with cream cheese instead of cream?
Very yummy! Family liked it. Served with a slice of homemade potato bread. Perfect for a winter weeknight.
That sounds great!
Delicious! A worthy entry into the meal rotation.
Sweet!
Super Yummy. Even my pickiest eater was won over. It was devoured before leftovers was a consideration.
That’s great!
This was so so good! Definitely adding it to the rotation. Thanks for an awesome recipe. Even my kids enjoyed it. I threw a big fistful of spinach in at the end to make myself feel like it was a little healthier.
Thank you for sharing!
Truly delicious. I actually don’t usually like red pepper pastas.
There’s lots of sauce. Depending on how one prefers the sauce to pasta ratio, more pasta could be used.
Will definitely make again!
Thanks, Mandy!
Do you think doubling the pasta would be too much? Just curious. Thanks!
Yes, there may not be enough sauce for all the pasta. But as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
I made this last night, and kept the pasta at 8 oz. This was great, and I will definitely make again. The extra sauce is ok with me, I might even make breadsticks next time! Thanks!
That’s great!
Amazing pasta! Added just a dash of crushed red pepper for a little spice, also a full cup of chicken stock. Hubby loved it!! Easy and fast, it’s a keeper!
That’s great!
Thanks for this recipe – it came at just the right time, as I had some jarred red peppers sitting in the fridge that I wasn’t sure what to do with! I’m actually vegetarian and looking to cut down on dairy, so I followed this recipe while making some vegan substitutions – Tofurky Italian sausage, soy milk, veggie broth, nutritional yeast, etc.
It came out AMAZING and is definitely going into my rotation! 🙂
Just finished making this pasta! My fiancé and I usually don’t like red sauce pastas but this is definitely something else. It is by far one of my favorite recipes from you.☺️ It’s easy and simple to make! I even added in a little bit of red chili peppers to spice it up great job and thank you !
So happy you liked it!