Italian Drunken Noodles (Printable)

Pasta with spicy sausage, cherry tomatoes, and Chianti wine sauce finished with 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 - 1/2 cup dry red wine
10 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
12 - 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

→ Fresh Herbs and Cheese

13 - 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
15 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

→ Finishing

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

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain and set aside.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the pan evenly.
03 - Add sliced onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until it begins to soften. Stir in minced 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 halved cherry tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for 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 from the bottom. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by approximately half.
07 - Add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or additional red pepper flakes as desired.
08 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat thoroughly, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until sauce clings evenly to the noodles.
09 - Remove from heat. Stir in basil, parsley, and Parmesan cheese until melted and evenly incorporated throughout.
10 - Divide pasta among serving bowls. Garnish each portion with extra basil, additional Parmesan, sliced red chili if desired, and a lemon wedge for brightness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a night out but cooks faster than delivery arrives.
  • The wine and soy sauce create a savory-sweet glaze that clings to every strand.
  • You can swap proteins or go vegetarian without losing any of the bold flavor.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors meld overnight.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, plain water won't emulsify the sauce the same way.
  • Let the wine reduce properly or the sauce will taste harsh and boozy instead of mellow.
  • Add the fresh herbs off the heat, cooking them turns basil black and kills its perfume.
  • If the sauce seems dry, add more pasta water one splash at a time, it's easier to add than to fix a watery sauce.
03 -
  • Toast the red pepper flakes in the oil for a few seconds before adding anything else, it blooms their heat and makes them fragrant.
  • Use kitchen shears to snip the basil right over the pan, it's faster than tearing and you won't bruise the leaves.
  • If your skillet isn't big enough to toss the pasta, pour the sauce over the noodles in the pasta pot and toss it there.
  • For extra richness, stir in a tablespoon of butter at the very end, it makes the sauce glossy and luxurious.
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