25 Family Dinners That Start with Italian Sausage

The real beauty of sausage and peppers is that it’s an incredibly simple and straightforward one-pan meal that packs in seriously big flavor, with the savory sausage mingling with soft, sweet peppers.

This sausage tortellini soup has it all: Meaty chunks of sausage, pillowy cheese tortellini, a whole package of leafy greens, and a rich, super-creamy broth packed with flavor. The best part is that it’s a true weeknight soup. There’s minimal prep, mostly hands-off cooking, and, because the tortellini cooks directly in the soup, you only need one pot.

Made with dried mushrooms, Italian sausage, tomato sauce, and heavy cream, pasta alla boscaiola will be your new favorite Italian comfort food.

This creamy soup, made popular by Olive Garden, is sure to become an instant classic in your home. Serve it with plenty of crusty bread for a cozy weeknight dinner.

The four classic Roman pastas — spaghetti carbonara, cacio e pepe, pasta alla gricia, and bucatini all’amatriciana — are simple, restrained, and focused on highlighting a few key ingredients in an artful way. Now, throw all that restraint out the window and add some Italian sausage and you’ve got pasta alla zozzona.

Stuffed bell peppers are literally stuffed with everything your dinner needs. The veggies, starch, and protein are all packed into colorful, single-serving “cups” and finished with a cap of melty, browned shredded cheese.

A rich marinara-like sauce cooked with beef chuck roast and Italian sausage for several hours on the stovetop, creating both a pasta sauce with lots of depth and braised pieces of meat in tow.

This cozy soup is a low-lift, one-pot recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes! Packed with savory Italian sausage, white beans, hearty kale, and a broth that’s just creamy enough, it’s a recipe to keep in your back pocket for chilly nights.

An Italian classic made fit for a cowboy.

Instead of making béchamel, store-bought Boursin cheese acts as the sauce, melting into the sausage and hearty kale, making it the perfect backdrop for the garlic and herbs.

Johnny Marzetti is an iconic staple of potluck dinners and school cafeterias in the U.S. This extra-cheesy casserole only calls for a handful of ingredients for an easy weeknight dinner.

Chicken Scarpariello is a classic Italian-American recipe that features braised chicken with pickled peppers and rosemary.

This pasta with Italian sausage and heaps of baby spinach is a satisfying 35-minute meal that’s sure to become your weeknight standby.

If creamy pasta makes you weak in the knees, white lasagna is going to be right up your alley. Unlike lasagnas made with marinara, you won’t find a drop of red sauce in sight. Here you get layers of hearty pasta, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, Italian sausage crumbles, and an entire pound of fresh spinach.

This homemade meatball soup is pure comfort, with a brothy tomato base that’s filled with al dente pasta, wilted spinach, and bite-sized meatballs.

Whether you call it baked ziti or mostaccioli, it's impossible to dislike this tender pasta dish tossed in red sauce, topped with cheese, and baked until bubbling and browned.

A savory one-pot pasta with caramelized onions, apples, and Italian sausage.

Make everyone around the table excited about dinner with this recipe for pasta and meatballs inspired by spaghettios.

A classic combination of Italian sausage and sweet peppers ensures these eggplant boats are hearty and satisfying.

All it takes is one pot, Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, and whatever tender greens you have handy to create a delicious pasta dinner with a simple white wine sauce.

Pockets of melty mozzarella, crumbles of juicy Italian sausage, and saucy rigatoni join forces in this baked pasta dinner that’s guaranteed to be a winner. Beyond the jarred marinara sauce (which keeps this meal weeknight-friendly), there are plenty of make-ahead moments to keep things as stress-free as possible.

Chunks of sweet butternut squash, join earthy mushrooms, sweet red onion, juicy sausage, and plenty of chopped rosemary for a sheet pan dinner that's ready in 30 minutes.

Throwing everything into a slow cooker means you can come back to tender sausages that have been gently braising in beer, with a pile of sweet peppers and onions coated in grainy mustard right on top.

This crowd-pleasing casserole is surprisingly light and fresh, thanks to the addition of spinach and white beans.

A quick and simple recipe for French bread pizza which can be customized with your favorite toppings (use cooked Italian sausage!) and pizza sauce.

A hearty recipe for risotto filled with tomatoes, crumbled Italian sausage, and fresh basil, that is garnished with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese. It’s a one-pot dish simple enough for a weeknight yet just fancy enough for a casual dinner party with friends on the weekend.

This hearty, homemade bread is made with ground sausage rolled in pizza dough.

While the baked ziti is in the oven, all you need to do is throw together a salad, or steam (or grill!) some vegetables to serve with it. A glass of nice red wine also wouldn’t be amiss here.

This sheet tray bake is easy to slice, equally easy to eat, and should quickly sneak its way into your nightly rotation.

Spicy sausage, juicy tomatoes, salty cheese, and buttery strands of spaghetti squash — this satisfying dinner has it all, and it’s incredibly easy too.

An easy recipe for 3-ingredient sheet pan gnocchi with Italian sausage and peppers.