Italian Drunken Noodles with Sausage (Printable Version)

A sizzling fusion pasta with spicy sausage, sweet tomatoes, garlic, and onion in a bold Chianti wine-kissed sauce, crowned with fresh basil and Parmesan.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 ounces spaghetti or linguine

→ Sauce and Proteins

02 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
03 - 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
04 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
06 - 8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled, or 8 ounces peeled shrimp

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

07 - 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste

→ Liquids and Seasonings

09 - ½ cup dry red wine, Chianti or Sangiovese recommended
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
12 - 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

→ Fresh Herbs and Cheese

13 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

→ To Finish

16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
17 - Optional garnish: extra basil leaves, thinly sliced red chili, lemon wedges

# How to Prepare:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until just al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom.
03 - Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add sausage or shrimp to the skillet. For sausage, cook 5 to 7 minutes, breaking into pieces, until browned and cooked through. For shrimp, cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until pink and opaque.
05 - Stir in cherry tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes, gently mashing some tomatoes to release their juices.
06 - Pour in the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half.
07 - Add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or more red pepper flakes.
08 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until sauce clings to noodles.
09 - Remove from heat. Stir in basil, parsley, and Parmesan until melted and evenly incorporated.
10 - Divide pasta among bowls. Garnish with extra basil, Parmesan, sliced chili if desired, and a lemon wedge for brightness.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It delivers restaurant drama in a single skillet, no fancy technique required.
  • The wine does half the work, turning simple ingredients into something that tastes like you planned it for days.
  • You can swap sausage for shrimp or mushrooms and it still sings.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to sit and think.
02 -
  • Do not skip reserving pasta water, it contains starch that helps the sauce cling instead of sliding off the noodles.
  • Add the garlic after the onion has softened, or it will burn and turn acrid in the high heat.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta, you can adjust the seasoning now but not easily later.
  • If the sauce looks too thick, add pasta water one splash at a time until it reaches a silky consistency.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the pasta has room to toss without clumping.
  • Tear the basil by hand instead of chopping it, the bruised edges release more flavor.
  • If the sauce tastes flat, add a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lemon, acidity wakes everything up.
  • Cook the pasta one minute under the package time, it will finish cooking in the sauce and soak up all that flavor.
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