Chicken Sausage Penne in a Creamy Sauce
with Bell Pepper & Lemon
- Milk
- Wheat
: Are you the type of person who only goes to sporting events for that huge Italian sausage and pepper hoagie? We’re right there with you. This week, our chefs took the beloved dish from stadium fare to elegant weeknight dinner with a few delicious twists. First, they dropped the bready bun and replaced it with al dente penne, along with an ultra-creamy sauce studded with crispy bits of pork sausage and sweet sautéed bell pepper. Psst—did we mention there’s Parmesan cheese in the sauce and sprinkled on top? Yeah, it’s safe to say this dish knocks it out of the park.
Ingredients
3 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
9 ounce
Italian Chicken Sausage Mix
½ unit
Crushed Tomatoes
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Lemon
6 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
3 tablespoon
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
2 unit
Scallions
1 unit
Bell Pepper
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Halve, core, and thinly slice bell pepper into strips. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Zest and quarter lemon.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and scallion whites; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove sausage* from casing if necessary; discard casing. Add to pan; cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. If you like things spicy, stir in a pinch of chili flakes and cook until fragrant, 15 seconds. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out.
Swap in chicken sausage* for pork sausage.
Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
Add half the tomatoes (all for 4 servings) to pan with sausage mixture and cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low.
Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, half the Parmesan (save the rest for serving), ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water, and 1 TBSP butter until thoroughly combined. (For 4, use ⅓ cup reserved pasta cooking water and 2 TBSP butter.)
Season with salt, pepper, and lemon zest to taste. Add drained penne and toss to coat. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.
Divide pasta between bowls. Sprinkle with scallion greens, remaining Parmesan, and a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved the creamy sauce with lemon zest and chili flakes. Some added garlic for extra depth 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Quick and easy to make, with fresh ingredients that came together well.
- Suggestions: Consider adding chopped garlic or ground rosemary for more flavor. Adjust spice level to taste with chili flakes.
- Leftovers: Leftovers were good, though some found the portion size a bit small for two people.
- Protein: While most enjoyed the chicken sausage, a few preferred other options like cutlets.
Reviews from our home cooks
Didn't know what to expect from this meal but it's soooo good. My box came without the cream cheese and I was gonna make it without it but I decided to run to the grocery store anyway to grab that ingredient- so glad I did! The sauce on this is perfect with the lemons zest and red pepper flakes. Chefs kiss.
Easy, fresh and delicious! I added about a tablespoon of chopped garlic and a little more Parmesan cheese. My family loved it.
We loved it but it needed just a bit more flavor so I added ground rosemary to the recipe and 3 cloves of garlic and it was amazing my Husband really loved it!
We love the heat and cream against the fresh lemon
I personally added too much of the hot pepper flakes but it was delicious!
Mine was too creamy, I'll use less sour cream next time
I think the 2 packages of onions/scallions was over kill. I would have liked a different variety of vegetables. Not just pepper and onions. The sauce was just okay.
This a family favorite and while we don't order each week, when this is on the menu we are sure to order!
Enjoyed it, ingredients was a little confusing, but still really good
Recipe was good but you're out of your mind if you think that's enough pasta for 2 people
