Italian Drunken Noodles
Crumbled Italian sausage, sweet peppers and wide pappardelle in a sauce of white wine and tomatoes, all finished in one skillet. It takes 45 minutes, and the pasta cooks its last two minutes in the sauce so everything arrives as one dish.
Ingredients
Sausage and Vegetables
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil extra virgin, for sautéing
- 1 lb (450 g) Italian sausage mild or spicy, casings removed and crumbled
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) crushed red pepper flakes optional, or to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 bell peppers mixed colors (red, yellow, orange), seeded and sliced into strips
Sauce and Pasta
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
- 1 can (410 g) diced tomatoes with juices (about 14.5 ounces / 410g)
- 12 oz (340 g) pappardelle pasta or fettuccine/tagliatelle
- 1/2 cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese freshly shredded, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup (10 g) fresh basil chopped, for serving (optional)
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Pot for pasta
- wooden spoon
- Colander
Instructions
Brown the Sausage
- Brown the sausage: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crumbled sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned through. Lift it onto a plate and leave the fat in the pan.
Build the Sauce
- Soften the onion: Add the sliced onion to the fat in the pan and cook until limp and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
- Add the peppers: Stir in the sliced bell peppers and cook 2 to 3 minutes, just until they lose their raw edge. They should still hold their shape.
- Deglaze with the wine: Pour in the white wine and scrape the base of the pan clean with a wooden spoon. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Simmer and Boil the Pasta
- Simmer the sauce: Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and return the browned sausage to the pan. Let it bubble gently for 10 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Boil the pappardelle: Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle in well-salted water until 2 minutes short of al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then drain.
Toss and Serve
- Add the pasta: Tip the drained pappardelle into the skillet with the sauce.
- Toss it through: Add a splash of the reserved pasta water and toss gently for about 2 minutes, until every ribbon is coated and glossy. Add more water only if the pan looks dry.
- Finish and serve: Take the pan off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, and scatter the torn basil over the top. Serve straight from the skillet with more Parmesan at the table.
Notes
Cook the pappardelle 2 minutes short of the box time. It finishes in the skillet and absorbs sauce as it goes.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining. It is what makes the sauce cling.
Reduce the wine by half before the tomatoes go in, or the sauce keeps a sharp edge. To cook without wine, use 1/2 cup chicken stock with 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar stirred in.
The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, then reheated while fresh pasta boils. Do not cook the pasta ahead.
Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water or stock.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1350mg | Potassium: 900mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2250IU | Vitamin C: 108mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 4.8mg