Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook time: 25 mins | Total time: 45 mins | Yield: Serves 4
The best of both worlds! This Italian Drunken Noodle is a combination of Italian and Thai with spicy sausage, peppers, onions, basil, and a light touch of wine. Incredibly easy and quick to make and a very pleasing dish that’s perfect for date nights.
Ingredients
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8 oz. pappardelle noodles, uncooked
Olive oil
4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp 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 a garlic press
½ c. white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
¼ c. fresh basil leaves, julienned, divided use
How to make Italian Drunken Noodles
Step 1: Following the package directions, cook the pappardelle noodles. Drain when done and keep the noodles warm.
Step 2: Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or braising pot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage to the hot oil and crumble in small chunks while cooking for a couple of minutes per side until brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan and transfer it into a small bowl.
Step 3: Into the same pan, add the sliced onion and cook for around 5 minutes until it caramelized and turned golden, stirring as it cooks to keep the onion from burning. If needed, add extra olive oil to the pan. Season with salt, Italian seasoning, and cracked black pepper once the onion is browned, then stir.
Step 4: Add in the sliced bell peppers and saute for another 2 minutes with the onion until a bit tender and golden. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, pour in the white wine and simmer for a couple of minutes until most of the liquid has been reduced.
Step 5: To the pan, add the tomatoes with their juices, then add back the browned spicy Italian sausage. Stir and let the mixture simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 6: Turn off the heat, then drizzle 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil into the sauce and stir in some chopped parsley and around half of the julienned basil.
Step 7: Add directly to the sauce the cooked pappardelle noodles. Gently toss to coat the noodles, then season according to taste.
Step 8: To bowls, add even portions of the Italian drunken noodles, garnish with the rest of the julienned basil, and if desired, top with shaved Parmesan and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Tips:
Make sure to use a large, heavy-bottomed pan like cast iron or a Dutch oven to make this dish as it retains the heat well. Also, this gives a bit of extra colour and flavour to the peppers and onions. Larger pans provide enough room as well when directly adding the noodles at the end and tossing them around with the sauce.
Pappardelle is the best variety of noodles suited for this recipe. But in case you don’t have them, feel free to swap them with whatever type of noodles.
It is highly recommended to use white wine for this recipe but red works perfect, too.
You can feel free to substitute the wine with chicken stock and add a bit of lemon squeeze at the end.
If you prefer a meatless version of this recipe, simply omit the spicy sausage or swap with a vegetarian crumble or cubed tofu.
You can prep the sauce a day before. I like to do that mostly because the sauce will have more time to sit for a deeper flavour. For the noodles, prep them on the day and just toss them with the warmed sauce.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pappardelle noodles, uncooked
- Olive oil
- 4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
- 1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp 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 a garlic press
- ½ c. white wine (I used Chardonnay)
- 1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- ¼ c. fresh basil leaves, julienned, divided use
Instructions
Step 1: Following the package directions, cook the pappardelle noodles. Drain when done and keep the noodles warm.
Step 2: Heat about 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or braising pot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage to the hot oil and crumble in small chunks while cooking for a couple of minutes per side until brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan and transfer it into a small bowl.
Step 3: Into the same pan, add the sliced onion and cook for around 5 minutes until it caramelized and turned golden, stirring as it cooks to keep the onion from burning. If needed, add extra olive oil to the pan. Season with salt, Italian seasoning, and cracked black pepper once the onion is browned, then stir.
Step 4: Add in the sliced bell peppers and saute for another 2 minutes with the onion until a bit tender and golden. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Then, pour in the white wine and simmer for a couple of minutes until most of the liquid has been reduced.
Step 5: To the pan, add the tomatoes with their juices, then add back the browned spicy Italian sausage. Stir and let the mixture simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 6: Turn off the heat, then drizzle 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil into the sauce and stir in some chopped parsley and around half of the julienned basil.
Step 7: Add directly to the sauce the cooked pappardelle noodles. Gently toss to coat the noodles, then season according to taste.
Step 8: To bowls, add even portions of the Italian drunken noodles, garnish with the rest of the julienned basil, and if desired, top with shaved Parmesan and an extra drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
Notes
Make sure to use a large, heavy-bottomed pan like cast iron or a Dutch oven to make this dish as it retains the heat well. Also, this gives a bit of extra colour and flavour to the peppers and onions. Larger pans provide enough room as well when directly adding the noodles at the end and tossing them around with the sauce. Pappardelle is the best variety of noodles suited for this recipe. But in case you don’t have them, feel free to swap them with whatever type of noodles. It is highly recommended to use white wine for this recipe but red works perfect, too. You can feel free to substitute the wine with chicken stock and add a bit of lemon squeeze at the end. If you prefer a meatless version of this recipe, simply omit the spicy sausage or swap with a vegetarian crumble or cubed tofu. You can prep the sauce a day before. I like to do that mostly because the sauce will have more time to sit for a deeper flavour. For the noodles, prep them on the day and just toss them with the warmed sauce.
