Italian Drunken Noodles
Preparation:
Place 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 (you want to keep the sausage fairly chunky), allowing it to brown in the oil for a few moments on each side.
When the crumbled sausage is browned, remove it from the pan or pot with a slotted spoon and place it in 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, then add in the sliced bell peppers and allow those to sauté with the onion for about 2 minutes until slightly tender and golden.
Next, 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.
Next, 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 the instructions on the 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.
