Chicken Sausage Penne in a Creamy Sauce
with Bell Pepper & Lemon
- Wheat
- Milk
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
1 unit
Bell Pepper
2 unit
Scallions
13.76 ounce
Crushed Tomatoes
1 unit
Lemon
9 ounce
Italian Chicken Sausage Mix
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
6 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
2 tablespoon
Cream Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
3 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains: Milk)
3 tablespoon
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
Not included in your delivery
Salt
Pepper
1 teaspoon
Olive Oil
1 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
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 1⁄3 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.
Chicken Sausage is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
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.
