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Creamy Red Pepper Shells
5 from 312 votes

Creamy Red Pepper Shells

Creamy Red Pepper Shells combine tender pasta shells with a rich sauce made from roasted red bell peppers, Italian sausage, onion, garlic, and cream. The sauce is thickened with flour and tomato sauce, then finished with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. This recipe balances savory sausage and aromatic Italian seasoning with the sweet softness of roasted red peppers, creating a comforting, hearty pasta dish suited for main meals.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces pasta shells medium
  • 1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers drained
  • ¾ cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces Italian sausage casing removed, mild
  • ½ onion diced, medium sweet
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • salt to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
  • black pepper to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
  • 3 tablespoons basil chopped, fresh leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; drain well.
  2. Combine red bell peppers and chicken stock in blender until smooth; set aside.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until sausage is browned, about 5-7 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
  4. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  5. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
  6. Gradually whisk in red bell pepper mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and slightly thickened, about 6-8 minutes.
  7. Stir in pasta and heavy cream until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  8. Stir in Parmesan until melted, about 2 minutes. Stir in basil.
  9. Serve immediately.