A one-pot meal of ground sweet Italian chicken sausage given a spicy kick with Calabrian chili peppers simmered in a fire-roasted sauce of tomatoes and red bell peppers with tender chunks of portobello mushrooms and finished with fresh basil and pecorino cheese for the most delicious Italian chicken sausage Bolognese.
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Quick and Easy Pasta Dinner
If you are craving comforting and flavorful pasta dishes that are ready in no time, then try this Easy Spicy Calabrian Italian Chicken Sausage Bolognese! This one-pot meal takes a classic favorite and injects it with a fiery twist. Ground sweet Italian chicken sausage is browned to perfection and then simmered in a rich and vibrant sauce.
The secret ingredient? Calabrian chili peppers add a depth of smoky spice that sets this Bolognese apart. But the flavor doesn't stop there! Fire-roasted tomatoes and red bell peppers create a luscious base, while tender portobello mushrooms add a satisfying meaty texture.
Fresh basil and a sprinkle of salty pecorino cheese bring a touch of Italian-style spicy food you love to the final dish. This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, offering a satisfying and flavorful meal without the fuss. Get ready to experience the delicious marriage of Italian-inspired comfort food and Calabrian heat in every delightful bite!
More Italian-Inspired Recipes
- Italian chicken Sausage Stuffed with Portobello Mushrooms with Burrata
- Plant-based: Italian Sausage with Spicy Creamy Lentil Pasta
- Easy Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage Soup with Farro
- Spicy Pesto Chicken Pasta Homemade One-Pot-Meal
- Loaded Cheesy Ground Turkey Red Lentil Pasta
Ingredients
Begin by cooking and cooling down the spaghetti. You will prepare the vegetables by chopping the onion and portobello mushrooms during this. Then, cook the vegetables in a Dutch oven with olive oil, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
Then, add and break down the sweet Italian chicken sausage with the casing removed and incorporate it with the vegetables. Season the chicken sausage mixture with crushed Calabrian chili peppers.
Deglaze the dish with white wine and add the crushed fire-roasted tomatoes and diced fire-roasted red bell peppers. Then mix in the cooked spaghetti, fresh basil leaves, and grated pecorino cheese.
See the spicy Italian sausage pasta recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the instructions and cooking tips below using the step-by-step picture guide.
Cook the Pasta
You do not need a large pot to cook the spaghetti; it will cook just fine in enough boiling salted water.
To cool pasta, do not run it under cold water; spread it out on a large sheet pan.
Make the Bolognese
The mushroom onion mixture was covered for at least 5 minutes with a little olive oil to allow it to steam to speed up cooking, then uncovered to evaporate the recess liquid.
The casing of the sausage is removed to crumble it.
At this point, use this opportunity to brown the sausage and mushroom mixture.
Add the seasonings to meld with the sausage mixture.
Add a splash of wine before adding the tomato sauce for a hint of white wine.
Allow the tomato sauce to cook down to remove most of the acidity.
Combine It All
The pasta was cooked for one minute, shy of al dente, because it will keep cooking while it cools, and you have to reheat it with the finished sauce.
Combine the pasta well with the bolognese sauce before adding the other ingredients to prevent over-mixing.
Add fresh basil at the end, keeping these aromatics prominent in the dish's flavor.
Finally, finish with grated cheese for an incredible earthy cheesy flavor.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. In addition, some related detailed steps can be found there. Learn how to prep mushrooms from cleaning to slicing.
Side Dish Suggestions
Serve with a side of crusty toasted focaccia or ciabatta bread. Add a simple side salad with your choice of toppings: fresh sliced tomatoes, cucumber, carrots, or red onions dressed with extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar of Modena, a good quality vinegar with a great balance of sweetness and acidity, or red wine vinegar.
Substitutions
Dairy Free
- Grated Pecorino Cheese - Use nutritional yeast to enhance the earthy umami kick of pecorino cheese in the dish.
Gluten-Free
- Spaghetti - Try gluten-free pasta such as those made with corn, or even try rice vermicelli.
Vegetarian
- Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage - You can substitute this with plant-based Italian sausage or add more mixed mushrooms. Use brown or white button or cremini mushrooms.
Convenience
- Spaghetti Pasta - Use whatever shape of pasta you want.
- Portobello Mushrooms - This can be replaced with white/brown button mushrooms or cremini.
- Italian-Style Chicken Sauage - Substitute with pork sausage.
- Calabrian Red Chili Peppers - Although this is one of the stars of the dish, if you do not have this on hand, use a pinch of red pepper flakes to provide the spicy flavor.
- Grated Pecorino Cheese - Use a grated Italian cheese blend or parmesan cheese.
- White Wine - A good-quality Sauvignon Blanc is preferred since it complements spicy poultry dishes, but you can also use a splash of red wine, such as Merlot.
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Variations
- Ground Meat - If you can't find sweet Italian sausage meat, try using ground pork or chicken and seasoning it with fennel seeds and Italian herb seasoning, which includes paprika, garlic, and onion powder.
- Creamy Pasta - Add heavy cream to the tomato sauce to create a creamy pasta. In addition, add the greater cheese at this step to allow the two to infuse. Ensure you use a heavy-bottom pot to prevent the cheese from sticking to the bottom. I suggest using an enameled Dutch oven or a non-stick pot. But if you want browned bits of meat, beware; it takes longer in a non-stick pot.
Equipment
- Pasta Pot - Used to cook the spaghetti. If you wish to use one pot, you can use the Dutch oven instead or the heavy bottom pot you plan to use to make the Bolognese. I used the AVACRAFT Stainless Steel Saucepan with Glass Strainer Lid for this recipe and have no issues with it. But if you are looking for a higher quality cookware company, I suggest All-Clad, which has a 3-Piece 5-Quart All-Clad Specialty Stainless Steel Stockpot, Multi-Pot with Strainer.
- Dutch Oven - To make the bolognese, I suggest using a heavy-bottom non-stick pot like an enameled Dutch oven. I developed this recipe using the Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven with Lid. These pots are great because they can go from stovetop to oven. The enameled cast iron creates a non-stick-like surface but with better browning than regular non-stick pots.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the Calabrian chicken sausage bolognese pasta in a shallow 2-inch container to cool down quickly. Then, store it in an airtight container. As a result, the meal will last up to four days.
- Freezer - Follow the refrigeration process mentioned above. Then, place it in the freezer in a labeled, airtight container.
Airtight Food Containers - I use glass food storage containers with plastic clipping lids to store food. I always suggest glass storage containers because you can microwave them and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps the food at a more stable temperature, keeping it fresher and longer.
Cooking Tip
Carryover Cooking in Cooked Pasta - When you remove pasta from boiling water, it continues to cook for a short while due to its retained heat. This is called carryover cooking. To avoid overcooked mushy pasta, account for carryover by taking it off the heat a minute or two before it reaches al dente texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
It was thought to use 4-5 quarts of water for every pound of pasta, which allows the pasta enough space to cook evenly and prevents it from sticking together. However, this is not true; you can cook pasta in less water, and some even cook it in a saute pan with the pasta covered with water.
The key is to ensure the pasta does not stick once all the pasta is in the water. Prevent this by giving it a couple of stirs to separate them, and you should be fine.
No, adding oil to the cooking water does not prevent sticking. In fact, it can create a greasy film that prevents the sauce from adhering to the pasta. When your pasta is cooked, drain it and spread it out on a baking tray to cool off and allow the excess moisture to evaporate, ensuring the sauce will stick to your pasta.
Absolutely! Salting the water adds flavor to the pasta itself. Aim for a ratio of 1 tablespoon of salt for every 4 quarts of water. If your pot goes by cups, there are 4 cups in 1 quart.
The best way to tell if your pasta is done is to taste it! Al dente pasta should be cooked through but still have a slight bite in the center. Don't rely solely on the package instructions, as cooking times can vary slightly.
In addition, for this recipe, you will pull it out for one minute less since you will be adding it back to reheat.
Pasta Recipes
Looking for other pasta recipes like this? Try these:
- Healthy Haitian-Style Creole Spicy Shrimp Pasta
- Creamy Spinach Pesto Mushroom Lasagna
- Simple Spicy Garlic Chili Sauce Chicken Pasta
- Shrimp and Pork Belly Pad Thai - Spring Roll Style
Poultry Recipes
Looking for other poultry recipes like this? Try these:
- Healthy Spicy Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers with Salad
- Best Peach Piri Piri Chicken with Fonio Kale Salad
- Lemongrass Marinated Grilled Chicken Spring Rolls
- Caesar Salad with Egg Tomatoes and Chili-Infused Croutons
Calabrian Chili Pepper Recipes
Celebrate this ingredient with these recipes:
- Calabrian Pepper Salmon with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce
- Grilled Zhug Ras El Hanout Lamb Chops and Tomato Salad
- Easy Spicy Turmeric Calabrian Chili Pepper Wet Rub
- Baked Cheesy Spicy Tomato Basil Chicken and Broccolini
Video
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📖 Recipe
Easy Spicy Calabrian Italian Chicken Sausage Bolognese
Ingredients
- 12 ounces of spaghetti pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 large portobello mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound sweet Italian-style chicken sausage
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ tablespoon Italian herb seasoning
- 2 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chili peppers
- ¼ cup white wine preferably Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 cup crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 12 ounce jar of fire-roasted red bell pepper
- 12 fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup grated pecorino cheese
Equipment
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Prepare the Pasta: Cook the pasta until al dente, as the package recommends, but one minute shorter in a pasta pot. Drain the pasta, toss it in one tablespoon of olive oil, and lay it on a sheet pan to cool.
- Prepare the Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, chop the onion and small dice the portobello mushrooms.
- Cook the Vegetables: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and stir until well combined. Then, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway.
- Cook the Sausage: While the vegetables cook, remove the casing from the Italian sausage and set aside. Uncover the pot and allow the excess liquid to evaporate, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and combine it with the vegetables.
- Turn the heat to high, and break the meat mixture into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula while it fries. Then, turn it back to medium-high heat and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.
- Season the Sausage: Chop the garlic and add it, along with the Italian herb seasoning and the Calabrian pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the sausage cooks, drain and chop the fire-roasted red bell peppers and set them aside.
- Make the Sauce Base: Add the white wine, and when the wine is mostly absorbed, add the fire-roasted tomatoes and red bell peppers, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Finish the Pasta: Add the spaghetti and basil leaves and combine well. Once well incorporated, add the pecorino cheese and combine well.
Video
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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