Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage and Sweet Peppers

I was intrigued by the simplicity of this recipe and also by the rich beef flavor from the sauce. My husband is not too fond of tomatoes or tomato sauces, so this was an ideal alternative. It was quick and delicious. I modified the recipe by using only a half a pound of sweet italian sausage, freeing the meat from its casing and cooking it loose. I also added a half a pound of sliced mushrooms to the bellpeppers, which really added a mellow taste and added flavor to the beefiness of the broth. I added a little bit more beef broth than the recipe called for, and really let it soak into the pasta. At the end I added a small dollop of butter to smooth out the sauce, although this of course adds a little fat to an otherwise fairly lean recipe. Just a light dusting of Hungarian paprika and Lawry's seasoning salt also added a bit of flavor, but I would venture this would be unnecessary if the beef broth used was salty to begin with. I think this recipe could even be a great noodle dish using just vegetables, broth, and farfalle. The sauce was great!

My family loved this recipe. I used a package of Johnsonville Hot Italian Sausage which is slightly over 1 pound. I crumbled it up and added minced garlic to taste. I boiled a 12 oz. box of bowtie pasta and used 1 can of Campbell's Beef Broth in the sausage mixture. I omitted salt because the beef broth had enough salt in it. I didn't have peppers so I used 1 cup of canned peas. I will make this again and prepare it as written and I also want to try this with a jar of roasted red peppers or a bag of frozen stirfry peppers and onions (cook them separate from the sausage to carmelize, then add to the sausage.) This recipe has many possibitlites. Because I used 12 oz. of pasta, it was necessary to use the entire can of beef broth and each bowtie was covered with the sauce and it was not runny. I served this with fresh grated parm cheese on top, french bread and a salad.

WOW! The first time I tried this recipe I thought it was way too simple to be a 5-star recipe, but boy, was I wrong! DELICIOUS and SO QUICK! It is a welcomed change from pastas with tomatoes and/or red sauce. UPDATE 1/03/09 -- I've made this recipe SO many times now; it's a favorite with hubby and all three kids. They actually get excited when I tell them we're having this for dinner. Here's how I've come to modify this recipe: I use half hot Italian and half sweet Italian sausage with casings removed (about 4 links each); I fry this in a little olive oil until browned, then add sliced onion and both red and green peppers for color; I continue cooking until sausage is done and veggies are tender; then I add one full can of College Inn beef broth plus 1-2 T beef base, plus 2/3 lb. cooked pasta (we like Cavatelli and bow ties), and also add a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes, about 1 tsp. black pepper and salt to taste. TIP: For lots of flavor, DON'T drain the sausage. Sure, it's not good for your hips or heart, but boy does it kick this up! After making this dozens of times, I really think this is key to great flavor. Afterall, if you're serving sausage for dinner, you're really not expecting a healthy meal, right? LOL

Great and easy recipe. I double the amount of beef broth, and add fresh sliced mushrooms. Instead of 2 green bell peppers, I use 1 red, 1 orange, and 1 yellow bell pepper. This makes the dish more colorful and less bitter - the green bell peppers taste bitter to me.

I added 2 cans diced tomatos and it was great

I made this for a class project almost 2 years ago and liked it so much I continue to make it. I buy the frozen peppers from Trader Joe's (they are red, yellow and green already sliced so this saves lots of time)It makes great left overs as well! Thanks for the recipe!

Love this recipe with a few minor tweaks: 1 can of diced tgomatoes, one yellow and one red bell pepper which makes it sweeter, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. ground rosemary, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1 small yellow onion, chopped. Sweat the onion with the spices BEFORE adding peppers, tomatoes and sausage. Let simmer for 15 minutes and then add the beef broth. Let simmer for another 15 minutes, toss with pasta, and enjoy. It is FABULOUSLY flavorful this way, especially with fresh grated parmesan on top!

Good but with some additions. Veggies, veggies, veggies....minced onion and garlic sauteed with the sausage. Added chopped red roasted pepper and sun dried tomatoes. Instead of cutting up fresh peppers I added a half bag of frozen peppers and onion. Topped with asiago and parmesan cheese.

Thank you Kristin for such an easy, wonderful, quick dinner the whole family loved! I used the bulk Bob Evans Italian sausage, (cooks up like ground beef), Birds Eye stir fry peppers with onions, and Au Jus for the sauce (I used a bit more sauce than called for too). Oh my! My husband couldn't get enough, and this will be going into our regular rotation! All three boys ate it up as well! Served it up with store bought buttered French bread for a meal in about a half hour. You cannot go wrong with this one!

I LOVE this recipe! The flavor of the sauce is delicious. Spicy sausage with the sweet peppers is a nice flavor contrast. Alternatively, we use one green one red bell, yellow onion, rotini noodles, and spicy red sauce. Another of Hubby's faves.