Italian Drunken Noodles (Printable)

Pasta with spicy sausage, cherry tomatoes, and garlic in Chianti wine sauce 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

→ To Finish

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

# How-To Steps:

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 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 2 minutes, gently mashing some tomatoes to release their juices.
06 - Pour in the dry red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer 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, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until sauce clings evenly to noodles.
09 - Remove from heat. Stir in torn basil, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan until melted and evenly incorporated.
10 - Divide pasta among serving bowls. Garnish with extra basil, Parmesan, sliced chili if desired, and a lemon wedge for brightness.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent the whole day cooking, but you'll be sitting down to eat in under an hour.
  • The wine and tomatoes create a sauce so good you'll want to sop up every drop with crusty bread.
  • You can swap the protein or leave it out entirely and it still feels like a celebration dinner.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and somehow taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce stick to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Let the wine reduce properly or the sauce will taste sharp and boozy instead of rich and balanced.
  • Add the fresh herbs and cheese off the heat so they stay bright and don't turn bitter or greasy.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the pasta has room to toss without clumping, a crowded pan makes it hard to coat everything evenly.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta and adjust the seasoning then, it's much easier to fix before everything is mixed together.
  • If the sauce seems too thick after tossing, don't be shy with the pasta water, add it a little at a time until it reaches that glossy, clingy consistency.
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