Description
Italian drunken noodles are a delicious Italian and Thai fusion dish featuring spicy sausage, colorful bell peppers, onions and fresh basil, all lightly kissed with white wine and tossed with silky pappardelle noodles in a rich tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces pappardelle noodles, uncooked
- Olive oil
- 4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
- 1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 orange bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
- ½ cup white wine (Chardonnay recommended)
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned, divided use
Instructions
- Prepare the pappardelle noodles according to package instructions; drain very well and keep warm while preparing the sauce.
- Place a large, heavy-bottom pan over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, crumble the spicy Italian sausage into small chunks, browning on each side. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add sliced onion to the pan with sausage drippings and caramelize for 5 minutes until golden, stirring to prevent burning. Add salt, Italian seasoning, and black pepper; stir to combine.
- Add bell peppers and sauté with onion for 2 minutes until slightly tender and golden. Add garlic until aromatic, then add white wine and reduce until almost completely evaporated.
- Add diced tomatoes with juice and return browned sausage to pan. Gently fold to combine and simmer for 3-4 minutes to blend flavors, then turn off heat.
- Finish the sauce by drizzling in 2-3 tablespoons olive oil for silky richness. Stir in chopped parsley and half of the julienned basil.
- Add cooked pappardelle directly to the sauce and use tongs to gently toss and combine. Check seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve in bowls garnished with remaining julienned basil. Optional: top with shaved Parmesan and extra olive oil drizzle.
Notes
- Use a large, heavy-bottom pan or Dutch oven for best caramelization and heat retention
- Pappardelle noodles work best, but fettuccine or wide egg noodles can substitute
- Can use red wine instead of white for deeper flavor
- Substitute chicken broth for wine if alcohol-free version desired
- Remove sausage temporarily to prevent overcooking and maintain texture
- Add garlic last to prevent burning during long cooking process
- Sauce can be made ahead and reheated - flavors improve overnight
- Save pasta water as backup to thin sauce if needed
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 45mg