Friday nights have become that much tastier with this Drunken Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage. Grilling brats and having a beer after a long week is a great way to wind down, but we went a step further to give you this spicy sausage pasta infused with your favorite brew.
Want an easy pasta dinner that’s so full of flavor that your tastebuds will be screaming for more? Man, oh man, you will surely be satisfied with this rich beer sauce infused with onions, spicy Italian sausage, spices, and cream.
This sausage pasta with beer recipe was a team effort as hubby grilled up our favorite hot Italian sausages from Publix. I point this out because it is basically the only sausage we use for brats, lasagne, spaghetti, galettes, you name it. This is the sausage we find has the most flavor that we love.
Drunken Sausage Pasta
- Flavor – this pasta sauce is full-bodied and whirling with flavor. The beer, the creaminess, the spicy sausage, and the red pepper flakes, all add to the savoriness of the sauce.
- Easy – other than cutting a few veggies, this recipe comes together with ease.
- Versatile – Use ground sausage instead of the sausage links to take a step out of prep.
- Switch to mild sausage to minimize the heat.
- Make it cheesy by adding in a cup of Gruyere cheese or another good melting cheese.
- Beer, yum! – adding beer adds great flavor and is just a fun addition to your meals. You can choose any beer that satisfies your palette.
- Skip the beer and just add more broth to make this a family-friendly dish.
- Skip the beer and just add more broth to make this a family-friendly dish.
- Fresh Pasta – I always use fresh pasta for my creamy sauces. The pasta absorbs the sauce and has a delicate bite. For a more textured, or firmer pasta that cooks al dente, use dry pasta.
This creamy pasta made with beer and sausage is wholesome, hearty, and will leave you feeling full. Pair with a fresh, bright salad for contrast and a piece of good crusty bread to soak up all the creamy sauce.
Ingredients for Drunken Pasta
- Spicy Italian sausage – mild sausage can be used. Ground sausage is also an option.
- Roasted red pepper – one large jarred pepper works great. If you’re feeling adventurous and have it on hand, roast your own red pepper. We want this recipe to be quick and easy, so a jarred pepper worked best.
- Onions – yellow onions are perfect for sauces, but we also like to use sweet onions as they tend to be a little lighter on your stomach.
- Fresh garlic – minced.
- Roasted red pepper –
- Broth – chicken or vegetable broth is a great way to infuse even more flavor into the sauce.
- Beer – this option is flexible. Choose your favorite beef that you have on hand. The stronger flavor of the beer, the more of that flavor will reflect in the sauce. We went pretty light for this recipe with Mich Ultra. This creamy pasta sauce with beer can definitely hold up to more hops or dark ale.
- Seasoning – red pepper flakes for extra heat, with salt and pepper to taste.
Does the sausage have to be grilled for this creamy pasta with beer?
Great question, and no, it does not. Grilling this sausage added to our weekend of BBQing and relaxing. While I absolutely love the charcoaled crispy crust the spicy sausage gets from being grilled, you may simply pan-fry or oven-bake the sausage instead.
Ground Italian sausage would also work. Pan cook the ground sausage, remove the excess grease and follow the remaining instructions.
How to make Drunken Pasta
- Heat a large skillet and pan-fry sausages. Skip this step if you are grilling them.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt.
- Remove the links and set them to the side. Once cooled enough to handle, cut julienned or into rounds.
- Add in onions and saute until translucent. Then add the garlic and roasted red pepper. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Melt in butter and sprinkle a tablespoon of flour. Cook another minute or so until flour is cooked.
- Pour in beer to deglaze the pan and use a spatula or wooden spoon to loosen all the little bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the beer simmer in the rue for a few minutes, stirring continuously.
- Whisk in broth and seasonings. Add sausage back to the pan. Add in cream and cook one more minute. Set aside.
- Add fresh pasta to a large pot of lightly boiling water. Cook just two minutes. Use a pair of tongs and quickly transfer the cooked pasta directly to the pasta sauce. Add about 1/2 a cup of pasta water and toss together.
- Serve with Parmesan and fresh parsley!
Why add pasta water to the sauce?
Adding pasta water to the sauce is a quick and easy way to give the sauce more flavor and better consistency. Plus, it acts as a thickener and as a binding agent to help the sauce stick well to the pasta.
More Dinner recipes to try:
- Pan-fried Pork Chops with Gravy
- Damn Good Spicy Chili
- Manicotti Smothered with Scratch Sausage Tomato Sauce
- Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta
- Whole Roasted Buttercup Squash Curry
- One-Pot Rustic Beef Tortellini Stew
- Ham and Bean Soup
I hope you enjoy this Drunken Pasta with roasted red peppers and spicy sausage dinner recipe! Let me know in the comments if you tried this recipe. Be sure to tag #ladleandgrain on Facebook and Instagram!
Drunken Roasted Pepper and Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 Italian sausage links hot or mild
- 1 medium onion diced small
- 1 whole roasted red pepper sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups beer
- 24 ounces low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 packs fresh pasta about 18 oz total
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage links and cook until browned on the outside and mostly cooked through, about 8–10 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside to cool slightly. Slice into rounds once cooled.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Remove excess grease from the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sliced roasted red pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk to form a roux. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Slowly pour in the beer, whisking until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Return the sliced sausage to the pan and stir in the heavy cream. Reduce heat to low and let simmer while the pasta cooks.
- Add the fresh pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, about 2 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Use tongs to transfer the cooked pasta directly into the sauce. Add the reserved pasta water and Parmesan cheese, then toss until evenly coated and creamy.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.
