Stracciatella Pasta With Peppers & Sausage

This creamy stracciatella pasta is perfect for a cozy dinner, a simple lunch, or even as a special treat when you want to impress someone with your cooking skills. Whether you’re in Italy or elsewhere, you can create this comforting dish at home and get a little taste of la dolce vita.

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My husband—born and raised in the Eternal City—introduced me to the beauty of this dish, known here as pasta con stracciatella e crema di peperoni.

Stracciatella pasta is all about balance. You’ve got the rich, creamy sauce made with bell peppers, walnuts, and stracciatella cheese (which, if you’re not familiar with, is a soft, creamy cheese that melts beautifully on top of the pasta).

Paired with crumbled Italian sausage, it’s a dream. The thing I love most about stracciatella pasta is how easily comes together. No fancy equipment or technique required, just a little love, good ingredients, and a bit of patience while it all cooks.

Stracciatella Pasta Recipe With Creamy Peppers and Sausage

First, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Once it’s hot and shiny, toss in your red bell peppers and onions.

Sauté them for about 2 minutes, just enough to start softening them up and get those lovely colors popping. No need to be precise here, just give them a little time to sweat out and get tender. Next, add in 1 cup of water and bring it to a simmer.

Then, cover the pan and let it cook on medium-low heat until those peppers are perfectly tender. You’ll know they’re ready when they’re soft and have taken on that gorgeous, mellow sweetness.

Once your peppers and onions are nice and soft, transfer them to a food processor (or blender, if that’s all you’ve got). You’re going to blend them into a smooth, creamy sauce.

Add the garlic, tomato concentrate, parmigiano cheese, walnuts, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and a splash of the cooking water you’ve got in the pan. Blend away until it’s all velvety and smooth. Set this dreamy sauce aside for a moment.

Now, in the same pan (don’t you dare wash it, we need those flavors!), heat up another tablespoon or two of olive oil. Crumble in your sausage and cook it until it’s beautifully browned and crispy.

Make sure to keep an eye on it—browned sausage = flavor! And hey, set aside a little sausage to sprinkle on top when you plate up, because it’s all about that garnish.

Once the sausage is nice and crispy pour the creamy pepper sauce from the food processor into the pan. You can also strain it if you prefer a smoother sauce.

Let the sauce come to a simmer and stir in a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. That’s when the magic starts happening—trust me, your kitchen will start smelling incredible!

While your sauce is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your pasta al dente according to the package instructions, remember, we want it just slightly undercooked. We’re going to finish the cooking in the sauce, so don’t go all the way to the end yet.

About 1-2 minutes before your pasta is done, carefully scoop it out of the boiling water with tongs or a slotted spoon and add it straight into the pan with that creamy sauce.

Grab a ladle of that pasta water and toss it in there too. This is where the sauce and pasta marry into perfection! Cook everything together for one more minute over medium-high heat so the flavors can fully come together.

Time to plate up! Grab four plates and spoon the creamy pasta onto each one. Now, take your stracciatella cheese and add big, luscious spoonfuls on top—don’t be shy.

Then, sprinkle the remaining sausage bits, chopped walnuts, and a little extra parmigiano on top for that final touch.

And there you have it! Serve your pasta with stracciatella hot, take a bite, and enjoy your hard work!

Pro Tips for the Perfect Pasta With Straciatella Cheese

• Use a ladle of pasta water: It’s a secret Italian move! The starchy pasta water helps make the sauce silky and helps it cling to the pasta.
• Go light on the salt at first: Taste your sauce before adding salt, it’s easy to overdo it, and the sausage and parmigiano already pack a salty punch.
• Cooking the pasta? Well, it’s all about getting it al dente, as we do here in Italy. Don’t let it sit in the water too long—once it’s just a bit firm to the bite, it’s ready to be pulled out. We want that texture to hold up when it’s mixed into the creamy sauce, so be sure to leave just a tiny bit of bite.

Make Ahead

You can make the pepper sauce ahead of time! Just blend it as instructed, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When you’re ready to cook, reheat it gently in a pan with a splash of water before tossing it with the pasta.

The sausage can also be cooked in advance and stored separately. When everything is prepped ahead, this stracciatella pasta for dinner comes together in minutes!

Print The Recipe

Stracciatella Pasta With Peppers and Sausage

Mari Avalos

This pasta with stracciatella and roasted red pepper sauce is creamy, flavorful, and full of texture. It’s the perfect balance of rich, nutty, and slightly smoky flavors—comfort food with an elegant twist!

4 servings

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Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 25 minutes mins

Total 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 17.5 oz fresh pasta (or 12oz of dry pasta)
• 1 ½ cup stracciatella cheese
• 2 links Italian sausage (crumbled)
• 2 medium red bell peppers (cut into chunks)
• ½ cup onion (diced)
• ⅓ cup chopped walnuts (plus more for garnishing)
• ¼ cup grated parmigiano cheese (+ more for serving)
• 1 Tablespoon tomato concentrate
• 1 small garlic clove (peeled)
• extravirgin olive oil (as needed)
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

 

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Sauté the peppers and onions for about 2 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of water, bring to a simmer, and cover. Cook until the peppers are tender.
• Transfer the peppers and onions to a food processor. Add garlic, tomato concentrate, parmigiano cheese, walnuts, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and about ¼ cup of the cooking water. Blend until smooth and set aside.
• In the same pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the sausage until browned. Set aside some sausage for garnish.
• Pour the creamy pepper sauce into the pan. Bring to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water until al dente (just slightly undercooked).
• About 1-2 minutes before the pasta is done, transfer it to the pan with the sauce, adding a ladle of cooking water. Cook for 1 more minute on medium-high heat to finish cooking and let the flavors combine.
• Plate the creamy pasta, adding spoonfuls of stracciatella cheese on top. Garnish with the remaining sausage, a sprinkle of walnuts, and extra parmigiano.

Tips & Notes

• Straining the sauce removes bits for a silkier texture.
• Save some sausage. A little on top adds extra flavor and crunch.
• Make the pepper sauce up to 3 days ahead and store it in the fridge. Reheat with a splash of water before using. You can also cook the sausage in advance.

Nutrition

Calories: 650kcal

Loved this stracciatella pasta dish? Try also my Pasta alla Norma recipe and don’t forget to leave your comments below!