Sunday, April 21, 2013

Drunken Pasta!!!


I found and made this mouth watering saucy, Italian “Drunken” Noodles recipe on Pinterest! This melt in your mouth, delicious recipe is made with Spicy Italian Sausage, Tomatoes, Caramelized Onions,  Red, Orange and Yellow Bell Peppers, with Fresh Basil.



So, why is it called "Drunken," well there's some white wine added to the recipe too!  I have to tell you, my husband loved it!  

While it looks like there are a bazillion steps to this recipe, it's super easy, and you probably even have most of the ingredients in your pantry!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Olive oil
4 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed
1 large onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 ½ teaspoons salt (this is a HUGE amount of salt & I didn't use any)*
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

Directions

Place a large, heavy-bottom pan or braising pot over medium-high heat; add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and once the oil is hot, crumble the spicy Italian sausage into the pan in small chunks (you want to keep the sausage fairly chunky), allowing 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;

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 in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine and allow it to reduce for a few moments, until almost completely reduced;

Add in the diced tomatoes with their juice

Return the browned spicy Italian sausage back into the pan, and gently fold 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, using tongs to gently toss and combine the pappardelle noodles with the sauce and all of the ingredients in it; 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; you can even top with shaved Parmesan, if desired, and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

Dust with your favorite cheese and enjoy! Oh, pour a glass of that chardonnay for yourself too . . .


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*I had to make some substitutions and some slight changes along the way.  See below.
  • My market didn't have fresh basil so I used dry basil.
  • My market didn't have Pappardelle noodles, so I used the widest noodles I could find.
  • I did not add the salt & it didn't need any in my opinion.
  • I did not add pepper because my sausage was very spicy! Like me!!! 
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Thank you for your kind words about my cousin's cousin in my previous post who was severely injured at the Boston Marathon.

Sadly the mom lost both of her legs below the knees. Amazingly enough, she has a good outlook and is planning to run the marathon with her sister next year!  She was at the finish line waiting to see her sister cross the finish line when the bombs exploded.

Her 18 year old daughter, who is a senior in high school, still has a few more surgeries ahead of her.  She has serious foot/ ankle wounds, lots of schrapnel that had to be removed and her femoral artery was severed.  She would have bled out in minutes if it had not been for the kindness of  two perfect strangers.  

These strangers tended to the daughter as her father tended to her mother.  Yes, dad was there too, he was treated and released with minor injuries. 

Thankfully mom & daughter were both brought to the same hospital, and are now in the same room.  



19 comments:

  1. I am so sorry about you family members. How devastating for all. They sound very brave.

    Your recipe sounds heavenly and I'm definitely going to try it. Thanks so much!

    Xo,
    Jane

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  2. Somehow I must have missed the post about your family and the marathon. I'm so sorry to hear this. My thoughts and prayers will be with them. I agree with Blondie. They sound very brave.

    I've heard of Drunken Chinese chicken, but never noodles. I think this would be a winner with all men. And my man is who I try to please.
    Sam

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  3. I don't know if I am among a majority or not, but I want the suspect in the bombings to live in the hope that we all can learn what on Earth motivated him to be involved in such a heinous act. I wish the best for your relations as they recover. On a happier not, I love the feel of pappadelle noodles. They aren't always easy to find, but well worth it when they are.

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  4. I am so sorry you are having such heartache as a result of the recent senseless chaos in Boston.We are all so saddened.

    As for your tasty recipe...I think I will set aside for summer. I am growing the peppers, the onions, the garlic, tomatoes, parsley, and basil....so it will be a true test of my gardening and culinary skills combined!

    Have a peaceful Sunday!

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  5. What a yummy easy dish. Peppers and sausage are a flavorful combination that we love at my house too. The wine adds a kind of sweetness. Score one for Pinterest!

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  6. I am so sorry to hear about your family (I think I missed that post!) Sending wishes for peace and a speedy recovery.

    This recipe looks delicious! Wine adds flavor to just about everything:) I've recently added it to a few pasta dishes and it really does add to the richness of the dish.

    Enjoy your Sunday!

    xxleslie

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  7. Anything with a splash of wine tastes better!
    My very best wishes to your extended family being treated for their injuries after the attack. I hope they will have a fast recovery!

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  8. I'm glad to hear your family is on the road to recovery!

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  9. Oh Mary! So glad that your relatives are beginning to mend! It will take a long time, but I'm so pleased to hear of the spirit they have! This surely has been a 'roller-coaster' week ... I will continue to pray on them, you, and everyone (including the young man responsible for the mayhem). Like one of your other followers, I want him to 'enlighten us' as to motive, others out there looking to harm our way of life, and just where and how he learned to craft such a horrid weapon.

    PS ... if this message to you is too TOO for comments, don't think you'll offend by reading and deleting. It's just that I have thought so much of you this week and have no other way to contact! You're in my prayers, kiddo!

    This pasta looks awesome too! I just got a deal on tiny little multi-colored peppers! Woo hoo! Pasta this week!

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  10. It is good to see your family are in the right place and doing better but still such shocking injuries poor things! I wish them well.
    The pasta recipe sounds scrumptious and shall make it soon!
    Ivan

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  11. Mhhh sounds yummy!!!
    Have a lovely week

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  12. Haha..I love the name of and it certainly sounds and LOOKS delish. Thanks for sharing. My goodness I am so sorry to hear that family was injured in that horrific tragedy. Thoughts and prayers. XO

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  13. This looks like one seriously delicious recipe that I will try asap!

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  14. Boston Strong! Thoughts and prayers being sent your way. Being two hours North of Boston, we have visited many, many times...there are just no words for this senseless tragedy. Sadly evil does exist in this world....Delicious looking and sounding recipe!!! Greetings, Julie.

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  15. If one must be in the hospital, how good to have each other as a roommate. Saying a prayer...their kind of spirit is remarkable and gives me hope.

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  16. You always post the yummiest recipes, I will give this a try soon, I'm sure. I wonder if I'll be able to find the pasta -- I don't think I've heard of it or seen it before.
    I'm glad to hear of the Marathon victims' improvement. What a week it was! I posted about it, and I'm still watching NECN a lot. I hope that all the victims will continue to improve and put their lives back together.

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  17. I missed your last post somehow and am so sorry to hear this (actually, I lost my blog roll mysteriously, and it took me a while to get it back.) What a tragedy and I'm sending my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery to your family members.

    Your pasta dish is great, and it will be a hit here with Bill and me when I make it. And I'm glad to hear you're "spicy enough!" Way to go, and have a great rest of the week!

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  18. This looks good...I know we would love it. Thanks for the update, too. I am keeping them in my prayers. Sweet hugs!

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  19. That sounds like my kind of pasta dish.

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