Drunken Noodles with Italian Sausage
I originally saw this amazing dish in a photo on Pinterest. After tracking down the recipe, I decided to give it a go and try it out on friends. It was a huge success (see photo below)! The Pappardelle pasta is so silky, light and smooth, and allows the amazing flavors in the sauce to really shine. Below is my slightly modified recipe of this amazing dish. I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and I did!
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
• Olive oil
• 4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
• 1 ½ 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 (I used Chardonnay)
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned, divided use
• 8 ounces Pappardelle noodles, uncooked
Preparation:
In a large, heavy-bottom pan or braising pot over medium-high heat; add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Once the oil is hot, crumble the spicy Italian sausage into the pan in small chunks keeping it fairly chunky. Allow it to brown in the oil for a few moments on each side; once the crumbled sausage is browned, remove it from the pan/pot with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl to hold for a moment.
Next, add the sliced onion into the pan with the sausage drippings, and allow it to caramelize and become golden for roughly 5 minutes or so, stirring to keep it from burning (add a touch more olive oil, if necessary).
Once the onion starts to become golden, add the salt, Italian seasoning and cracked black pepper, and stir to combine.
Add in the sliced bell peppers and allow those to saute with the onion for about 2 minutes, until slightly tender and golden.
Add the garlic and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine and allow it to almost completely reduce.
Add in the diced tomatoes with their juice, and return the browned spicy Italian sausage back into the pan, gently folding the mixture to combine. Allow it to gently simmer for about 3-4 minutes to blend the flavors, then turn the heat off.
To finish the sauce, drizzle in about 2-3 good tablespoons of the olive oil to create a silky, rich flavor, and add in the chopped parsley and about half of the julienned basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles.
Prepare the pappardelle noodles according to instructions on package; then, drain the noodles very well, and add them directly into the sauce. Use tongs to gently toss and combine the pappardelle noodles with the sauce and all of the ingredients. Check the seasoning to see if you need to add any additional salt or pepper.
To serve, add equal portions of the drunken noodles to bowls, and garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining julienned basil and top with shaved Parmesan. If desired, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.
Enjoy!
